Connection, a Brittana Love Story
by brittana7
Summary: Santana is in New York, studying at NYADA. She loves singing and dancing, and she loves partying (who doesn't?) but the truth is, she's kind of lost. She has been for a while, she's just not sure how to fix it, or what even needs fixing. When she sees a familiar blonde dancing in the studio, she can't help but think it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.
1. Quinn's New Roommate

Chapter 1:

She knew she should open her eyes. She knew she should at least try, but she just couldn't. Or _wouldn't _was probably a more accurate description. She wasn't sure if it was the overwhelming feeling that she had massively overslept _again_, or the sharp pain in her head that she could feel getting worse by the second.

_Okay. One. Two. Three._

_Shit._

10:32 were the numbers glaring at her from her alarm clock when she finally managed to wrench an eye open. She groaned dramatically and rolled over onto her other side. Yep, this time an hour ago was when she should have been walking into her vocal theory class at NYADA. _Shit_. And exactly two minutes ago she was meant to meet Quinn for coffee. _Double shit. _

After seriously considering closing her eyes again and trying to pretend this was all just one terrible nightmare and not something that has happened for the third time this week, Santana decided it was probably a good idea to get her lazy ass out of bed and get herself something to eat. Or at least a coffee. A _strong_ coffee. And an aspirin come to think of it. Grabbing her McKinley hoodie from a pile of clothes on the floor, the Latina stumbled out of her still darkened room and into the living room of her open-plan apartment. Her blissful, half-asleep state was interrupted by a shrill voice coming from the kitchen.

"Santana! What on earth are you still doing here? I thought you had class at-"

"Berry, _please _pipe down_._ Your voice is _way_ too high-pitched for this early in the morning. At least let me gets me an aspirin first." Santana said with a groan before making her way over to the kitchen, reaching up to the cabinet above the sink and grabbing a box of pills.

"I think, Santana, you'll find that it is no longer _early_, being almost 11 o'clock, and I was merely helping you by pointing out that you had a class to get to." Without bothering to reply, Santana simply shot one of her famous glares towards her roommate, before swallowing the pill and pouring herself a large cup of coffee. Sitting herself down on a stool at the island, she tried to ignore her friend clattering around the kitchen, grabbing various pots and pans and generally making way too much noise.

"Hey Dwarf," she almost shouted so as to make herself heard above the clanging of frying pans and slamming of cupboard doors. "For an abnormally small personal you're making a hell of a lot of noise. Either keep it the fuck down or be a decent human being and making Aunty Tana some breakfast too. Or preferably both. I'm trying my hardest over here not to die of what I'm starting to think is _the _world's worst hangover. Thanks." With an overly sweet smile aimed at the back of her roommate's head, she returned to sipping on her much needed coffee and rubbing her throbbing temples.

Rachel stopped what she was doing and spun on her feet to face Santana, frying pan in hand. "First of all, you have only yourself to blame for that hangover, Santana. What time did you even get in last night? I dread to think where you were or how much you drank or who… well anyway it's your own fault. And as for breakfast," she started, shaking the pan in the Latina's direction. "What makes you think I'm going to make you any? You're in a foul mood this morning and besides, you always complain about my vegan cooking." She said, almost triumphantly, and span on her heels again in order to continue what she was doing.

Amused at how pleased Rachel was with her comeback, and realising she had better play nice if she wanted to eat, Santana walked over and wrapped her arms around her friend's waist and pulled her into a tight hug. "Okay, Berry, you win. Will you pretty please with a cherry on top make me an omelette if I'm extra specially nice to you today?" Rachel didn't reply, but Santana could just about see the sides of her mouth lifting up into a tiny smirk. "_And _I'll take us all out on Saturday night to celebrate your big show case?"

After a small pause, Rachel sighed dramatically, peeled her friend's arm off from around her waist, and immediately got to work, cracking eggs and whatnot. Content with her work, and finally feeling the aspirin kicking in, Santana downed the rest of her coffee and went back to her room to grab her phone.

2 missed calls. Three text messages. Great. Here goes…

_I'm here, take it we're still on for coffee? – Quinn_

_Santana, where are you? I've been here for like 20 mins? – Quinn_

_Fuck this I'm going. Call me later bitch. – Quinn_

Oops. This isn't going to be pleasant. She may be her closest friend, but Quinn sure as hell didn't put up with this kind of shit from her.

_Sorry, Q. Big night, overslept. Make it up to you with coffee later? Starbucks at 3? X – Santana_

Throwing her phone onto her bed she headed towards the bathroom for a quick shower.

**…**

After showering and changing, Santana picked up her phone to see a new message from Quinn saying that she'd see her and Rachel at 2.30. She groaned at the news the hobbit would be joining them, before remembering about the omelette and rushed into the kitchen excitedly to receive the plate being held out for her.

"You're _welcome!" _Rachel snapped sarcastically, before taking a seat opposite to her roommate at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Oh, uh yeah thanks Berry." Santana mumbled through a mouthful of breakfast. "Oh by the way, we're meeting Q for coffee at 2.30." Rachel's eyes lit up and her scowl at Santana's below par table manners was replaced by a wide grin at the mention of their friend's name. "Wonderful! I'm going to go and change." And with that she practically skipped over to her room, finally leaving Santana in piece.

**…**

Santana and Rachel were now sitting at a booth in Starbucks waiting for Quinn. In her excitement and hurry, Rachel had forcefully pulled her roommate off the couch and out of the door, much to Santana's annoyance because she was still feeling rather delicate from the previous night. Rachel had also insisted on practically running the 3 blocks to the café which had not added to her hungover state.

So here they now were, sitting opposite from one another, Rachel smiling giddily and hammering on about how excited she was to see Quinn, and how she hadn't seen her in over three days, blah, blah, blah. It was all Santana could do to sit there, her head in her hands whilst trying to a) drown out the horrifically loud and high-pitched voice of one Rachel Berry, and b) try to keep down the omelette which had not turned out to be such a brilliant idea in her delicate condition. She was dragged from her thoughts by the chime of the bell and a squeal from her friend opposite as she looked up to see Quinn walk through the door of the café, a mountain of books hugged tight to her chest. She was wearing a simple black skirt and a pretty blouse.

"You look nice. Very 'preppy NYU student'." Santana remarked with a smirk as her closest friend approached their booth.

"You look dreadful. Did you go to bed at _all_ last night?" Was the quick remark fired back at her, followed by a matching smirk from the blonde.

"Touché, Fabray. Touché." The Latina smiled and gave her a friendly nudge as she came and sat down next to her. See, this is why she loves Quinn, because with just a look, all the shit from this morning is forgotten and they're back to their usual selves again. It was the same throughout high school. They were the most popular girls at McKinley, co-captains of the cheerleading squad, the hottest bitches in that place. Even glee club didn't change that.

"It's so wonderful to see you, Quinn! We've missed you." Rachel sang from the opposite side of the table.

"It's only been a few days Rachel! I've been so busy with coursework and assignments. And… I have some exciting news!" At that point the annoyingly friendly waitress came over with the latte and chai tea Santana and Rachel had ordered. _Bitch sure has great timing_. After a glare from Santana, and taking Quinn's order, the waitress disappeared again. Quinn shuffled in her seat and both Santana and Rachel looked at her expectantly.

"_Well…?" _Santana asked with impatience. "What's this big exciting news so I can finally go back to bed?"

"I got a roommate!" Quinn exclaimed, her eyes darting from Rachel, who was squealing with excitement to Santana, who stared back at her, a mixture of confusion and disapproval etched across her unmade-up face.

"That's so excit-"

"I didn't even know you were looking for a roommate." Santana snapped, interrupting Rachel. "If I'd have known I sure as hell would have ditched Man Hands over here and Lady Hummel to come live with you. Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

Quinn took a deep breath and turned to face her friend. "Santana, we both know you and I living together would be a bad idea. We would kill each other. Either that or you'd try and jump me again and that would just not be ok. Plus, I know you, and I know you're happy with Kurt and Rachel." Rachel's look of hurt swiftly changed into a smug sort of smile which made Santana groan but before she could counter Quinn cut her off. "Besides, it was a very last minute decision. Now that Daddy's lost his job I need help with the rent. So it was a money thing really, don't look like a kicked puppy S."

"Whatever, I gots to get me back to bed afores I either fall asleep here or throw up over Berry. This hangover is horrendous." With that she got herself up and left the other two to chuckle and shake their heads.

**...**


	2. A Flash of Blonde

Chapter 2:

The next morning, Santana was sat alone at the kitchen island, sipping on a large mug of coffee and flicking her way through a magazine. She had class at 11, and although it was only 9.15, Santana was up, showered, dressed _and _had eaten breakfast. See, model college student right here. _Suck it Berry. _She had made a point of going to bed early last night and fighting the urge to go out and attempt to cure her hangover with more drinking. _That works right? _She had managed to ignore all of Puckerman's many texts trying to persuade her to come to Lola's, andevenblocked out the sound of Rachel and Kurt's _extremely _loud and annoying singing practice at 10 o'clock last night. God knows why they feel it necessary to practice their pathetic duet at such antisocial hours.

But anyway, here she was, all made up and looking _hot._ She always did, but today was her vocal performance class and there were too many cute guys in there to turn up in sweats. Most of them probably bat for the other team, but still. A girl's gotta make an effort. She's also pretty sure she's seen some of the girls checking her out as well, so why not make herself look good?

She was dragged from her lovely thoughts about, well, her, by Kurt waltzing into the kitchen. "Morning Santan-" She looked up when he stopped himself, and watched as he feigned an overly-dramatic double take. "Is this? Could this be? Is this Santana up and ready before Rachel and I? Has Hell frozen over and Santana Lopez is for once in her life _without_ a hangover?"

Rolling her eyes at the expression of mock-horror on his face, she proceeded to remove herself from her stool and pour a second cup of coffee for her roommate. Stifling a chuckle at the _real_ look of horror now spreading across Kurt's face, she thrust the mug into his hands and returned to her seat. "Take it, before I change my mind about being nice to you this morning."

"And to what _do _I owe the pleasure of your delightful mood today?" Kurt asked with a hint of sarcasm, taking a sip of coffee and stealing the magazine from his friend. Santana shot him a glare, and then shrugged, getting up from her seat and making her way to her room.

"I don't know, I'm just in a good mood. Is there a problem with that?" She asked, turning back to give her roommate her best _don't mess with me _look. "Aunty Tana just has a good feeling about today, Lady Hummel." And with that she disappeared through her door.

**…**

Santana picked up her bag after class and walked out of the studio room with a smug smile tugging at her lips. She could feel the eyes of her classmates raking her body as she exited through the door. She knew her ass looked great in these jeans. She checked her phone for the time and, seeing it was 1.05 and she was meeting Kurt and Rachel for lunch in 10 minutes, she began to make her way along the corridor. Desperately trying to remember where their class was, she passed studio upon studio, some empty and others filled with NYADA students singing and dancing away.

She had nailed her performance earlier, she knew it. She could see the way her classmates had watched her, eyes wide and mouths open, occasionally whispering comments excitedly to each other, and she had noticed the impressed smile on her professor, Miss Holliday's face. She _loved _singing, and she was good. Maybe not Rachel Berry, _I'm going to be a famous Broadway star, _good. But still good. Santana knew she wanted to sing, and dance, and… okay so maybe she hadn't figured out _exactly_ what she wanted to do yet. But who cares? She was having fun.

She was interrupted from her daydream by a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. She turned to see what had caught her attention and peered cautiously through the slightly ajar door of a dance studio to her right. She stopped. Her breath hitched in her throat. She stared, unable to tear her eyes away from the figure in front of her, turning and jumping and pirouetting like it was the most natural thing in the world. Santana had never seen anything like it. The blonde girl wasn't even dancing to any music, and so the only sound the Latina could hear was the impossibly fast beating of her own heart.

Suddenly the girl in front of her stopped her entrancing routine and turned quickly towards the door. Her deep blue eyes locked with Santana's dark ones. _Shit. _She'd been caught just standing there, awkwardly leering through the crack in the door, staring at a girl she'd never met. And now she was staring right back at her, with an intensity that made Santana's stomach tighten. Yet neither of them looked away; she _couldn't. _This girl was mesmerising. _Okay that sounded creepy._ _But seriously_, she was the most beautiful thing the Latina had ever seen. She pulled her gaze from the dancer's, only to rake her eyes along her toned physique. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, she was wearing grey sweats and a tight tank top which had ridden up slightly to reveal toned abs. _Wow. _There went her stomach again.

Before she could meet those gorgeous blue eyes again, she jumped at a buzzing in her hand. Taken completely by surprise, she somehow managed to drop her cell phone which thumped loudly onto the wooden floor and she awkwardly scrambled to pick it up. Feeling her cheeks hot with embarrassment, she rushed to her feet again and took one last look at the blonde, whose eyes were still fixed on her and a smirk tugged at her perfectly pink lips. _Great._

Quickly glancing at the message which had been the cause of such an embarrassing moment, she quickly remembered where she was meant to be going. Hardly bothering to read the text from Rachel, which was some bullshit about how Santana was late, _as usual, _and that Rachel and Kurt would meet her at the restaurant, blah, blah, blah, the Latina turned on her heels and swiftly headed towards the exit of the NYADA building. _Well that was weird. _

**…**

On her way to the restaurant, which was just around the corner from NYADA, Santana replayed what had just happened in her head. _That girl. _There was something about her. Santana wasn't sure if it was the way she moved so effortlessly around that studio, the way her toned body twisted and turned so gracefully to the silent music, the way that half smirk, half genuine smile had tugged at her lips when she looked at the darker girl, or if it was those _eyes. _She had felt weak under their stare, intoxicated, unable to speak or think. She had never seen anything as transfixing as those bright blue eyes. Yet they felt so familiar, like she'd seen them before. She's sure she would never have forgotten them if she had. But why did she feel like she knew them? Like she knew _her?_

_Shut up Lopez, you sound like an idiot. A crazy, infatuated, obsessed idiot. _She was sure she was just light headed from being hungry, and probably from the adrenaline rush she had gotten form her unbelievably awesome performance earlier. Yeah, that was it. She shook the beautiful blonde from her mind as she pushed open the door to the restaurant where she could already see Tweedledum and Tweedledee waiting for her.

**…**

Twenty minutes later, Santana was sitting opposite from Kurt and Rachel, trying desperately hard to concentrate on her Caesar salad, all her willpower going into not lunging across the table and strangling one of them. Sure, she had grown to kind of love those two losers – not that she would admit that to anyone, ever – but they sure as hell knew how to grind on her. And not in the dirty way. For the past ten minutes, Rachel and Kurt had been playing some kind of lame-ass game of name the Tony Award winner, or some bullshit like that. Santana had tried to listen to as little as possible of the _extremely _gay conversation going on around her, but every time she tried to think about other things, only one thought in particular kept flashing up in her mind.

"That's it!" Santana snapped eventually. "I literally cannot take _one _more word of your blabbering, otherwise I will actually die right here and now due to extreme boredom and or embarrassment." She was met with an exceedingly shocked expression from Rachel and simply an amused smirk from Kurt.

"Alright Satan, we'll stop with the Broadway. I see your sprightly mood from this morning has worn off fast. What would _you _care to engage us in conversation about?" He asked, taking a bite from his sandwich.

"Uh, well I don't know. Actually, I have to admit I'm pretty intrigued about Q's new roommate. God knows who she's managed to drag off the streets at such short notice." Santana snorted, taking a sip on her cappuccino.

"Is someone still a bit bitter that she wasn't considered?" Rachel asked in that annoying, condescending tone of hers.

"Shut it, Berry. Not all of us are obsessed with Fabgay like you are. I wouldn't be surprised if you two were secretly hooking up judging by your giddy excitement whenever you see her. You're like a freaking cat on heat every time you're around her, we can practically see you spraying all over her." The Latina retorted with an eye roll and took another sip of coffee. Rachel's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink at this attack, which caused Santana to smile smugly into her coffee mug.

"I'll try and ignore that extremely immature _and_ inaccurate comment, Santana, and tell you instead that we will in fact be meeting the famous roommate tonight." At this, Santana looked up, eye brows raised in curiosity.

"Quinn's invited us all over for dinner to meet this girl properly." Kurt chimed in. "She said to be at hers at 7.30, so we can all leave together from the apartment at 7. Santana, you've only got one more class today right?"

"Yep, performance theory. And why am I the last one to hear about this grand dinner?" She snapped, hurt that her best friend had texted Lady Hummel and Hobbit and not her.

"Probably because she knows you don't care or expect you to like her?" Kurt suggested with a smart-ass tone Santana did not take kindly to. _Why would she not like her?_

"You never like _anyone, _Santana. You're not exactly the easiest to win over." Rachel scoffed before Santana could actually ask the question out load. _She totally likes people._ True, she's a hard judge of character, and doesn't just _befriend_ every single one of the annoyingly camp people she meets at NYADA like Berry and Hummel do. But she _likes _people. Okay, maybe the last actual relationship she had was in high school with Puck – there's a thought to put her off her lunch – and since being in New York she hasn't had a relationship that lasted longer than breakfast the morning after, that's if she hadn't already snuck out before that. But she likes it that way. She's can do one-night-stands and random hook-ups. But relationships? Feelings? No.

"Thank you, Berry, for that _insightful_ revelation. But I gots to be going. See you guys later." She said before getting up from her seat and strutting her way out of the restaurant. She couldn't help but be curious about who Quinn has chosen to live with, and felt a small twinge in her stomach, which felt curiously a lot like nerves. _What was up her with today?_


	3. Brittany

HEY GUYS! So I hope you liked the first couple of little chapters, just introducing the story etc. This is my first go at this - I've read some Brittana fanfics and just kinda decided to try one out for myself! So I hope you like it, and of course would love love love to hear what you guys think, so any reviews are welcome, or if you wanna message me or whatever then go for it.

Enjoy! x

Chapter 3:

Santana threw herself onto the couch, chucking her bag on the floor and reaching for the TV remote. _God _that class dragged on. It was Friday and almost 5 o'clock, so she was exhausted. The weekend could not have come soon enough. Santana loved the weekends – no early mornings, no classes, and no annoying comments from Rachel about how she _really should be up by now_. She could get up late, watch TV, maybe catch up on work and just generally _relax…_

"Hello!" Rachel's shrill voice jolted Santana from her wonderful state of calm. "_So, _what do we think this new roommate of Quinn's is going to be like? I personally cannot wait to meet her!" She squealed, launching herself onto the sofa next to her friend.

"Jesus, Berry. Are you _trying _to give me a heart attack?" Santana retorted. She wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with an overexcited Rachel right now. "And I have no idea what kind of a freak show Quinn's planning on introducing into our lives. And I couldn't give a shit either." She got up and made her way to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

"_Well," _Rachel continued, ignoring her roommate's sour tone. "Apparently she's super nice and really pretty. Like _really _pretty. And Quinn said she used to live in Lima and even went to elementary school with you guys. Their parents are still friends I think. Anyway I can't wait!" Rachel was getting more and more excited, her voice getting higher and faster with each word. "I think we're all going to get on so well, and it's so cool that she used to live in the same town as all of us, and went to the same school as you and Quinn and-"

"Berry I'm gonna stop you right there. Only dogs can hear you now." Santana interrupted, wincing at the now painfully high-pitched voice following her from the living room. She swapped her tea mug for a wine glass, deciding she was going to need something stronger if she was going to put up with this all night. Grabbing a bottle of white from the fridge and pouring herself a glass, she began to wonder about this girl Q had decided to live with instead of her awesome self. _They went to elementary school together? That's weird._ She wondered who it could be. She never really thought about back then - it was over ten years ago after all. The truth is, she didn't really _like _to think about it all that much. Things were a lot simpler then; her dad was still around, her family was still a family, she didn't have to worry about who she was or what people thought of her. Shewas _happy_.

Okay, so she was now a little intrigued to meet this so called _really pretty _girl, but she daren't admit it to Rachel for fear of encouraging her giddy excitement.

"So I guess either Kurt or I will be driving us tonight then?" Rachel questioned, eyeing the rather large class of wine Santana was now sipping on.

"Oh calm down, Midget. You and Kurt never want to drink. And besides, if you feel like going crazy and helping yourself to a wine cooler or something equally _gay_, we can always just crash at Quinn's. Live a little, Berry. It's the weekend." Santana said with a shrug before starting back towards the living room.

"Fine." Rachel sighed, putting the top back on the wine bottle Santana had got out and returning it to the fridge. "But you better start getting ready! We've got to leave soon. And please, Santana, _try _and make an effort_."_ The Latina carried on walking, sending a dismissive hand wave in the direction of her roommate.

**…**

It was now 7.20. Santana was standing in front of the mirror in her room, showered, hair blow dried, make-up done and dressed. She admired her reflection, pleased with the outfit she had picked out. She was wearing her staple black, heeled boots, black jeans which hugged her ass perfectly, and a red top showing just the right amount of cleavage. She looked _good._ She always did, but for some reason, and not just because of Rachel's annoying comment earlier, Santana felt she should look her best tonight; she wanted to make a good impression.

"Santana!" Kurt called from the living room. "Hurry up!" _Jeez, keep your knickers on Lady Boy. _Fluffing her hair once more and shoving her phone and trusty lip gloss into her purse, Santana switched the light off in her room and made her way to the others.

Her two roommates were standing by the front door, arms crossed looking very impatient when she finally emerged from her bedroom. A wide grin spread its way across Kurt's face and he wolf-whistled as the Latina appeared in the living room. Even Rachel, who was trying her best to look annoyed at being kept waiting, couldn't help the smile that tugged her lips at the sight of her friend. "You look _divine_ Miss Lopez," Kurt announced with a clap of his hands. "You are completely forgiven for keeping your friends waiting."

"Why thank you, Mr Hummel." She returned playfully, taking a mock bow for added effect. "Now let's get this over and done with." And with a friendly nudge to Rachel's shoulder, the three of them were out the door.

**…**

About 20 minutes and a whole lot of traffic later, the trio were pulling up outside Quinn's building. While Santana wandered why they didn't just walk there as it probably would have taken them half the time, they made their way through the door after being buzzed in, and stepped into the elevator waiting for them.

Clutching in one hand the bottle of wine which she had brought as a gift but was now seriously considering using as a weapon if Rachel didn't stop singing anytime soon, Santana decided to check her phone. She had a message from Puckerman seeing if they were still on for tomorrow night. It was Rachel's showcase performance tomorrow and, in return for the omelette, Santana had promised to take them all out and celebrate. It wasn't really much of a stretch, seeing as Puck was the manager at Lola's, a cool bar just down the road which had quickly become their favourite since moving to New York, and could get them drinks on the house all night, but still she was excited. She needed a night out, especially after all that weirdness this morning, and _shit. _She was trying not to think about that, or about _her._ She'd tried so hard to push the vision of blonde hair and blue eyes from her mind all afternoon during class and all evening as she got ready, and now here she was again, unable to shake that feeling. What _was _that? She could feel her cheeks heating up again, and her breathing quicken as she remembered the way the blonde had looked at her with such_…such… _She couldn't for the life of her work out what it was.

Shaken from her thoughts by a nudge from Rachel, Santana turned to see her friend staring at her with a mixture of concern and confusion. With a shrug and a wave of her hand as if to say _I'm fine_, she tried quickly to compose herself as the doors of the elevator flew open and the three of them stepped out into the hallway. Kurt knocked tunefully on the door numbered 302 and the friends waited to be let in. _Jesus, he even manages to make his knock gay._ Santana shuffled her feet, not sure as to why she was suddenly feeling nervous. When the door finally opened, she looked up and her breath immediately caught in her throat.

_Oh. My. God._

_Shit. Fuck. Shit._ She blinked._ Yep, it was definitely her. _The same blonde she hadn't been able to stop thinking about all day. Those same beautifully blue eyes that had locked onto hers after she was caught shamelessly staring – no, _leering_ – at this girl just this morning. She couldn't think, she definitely couldn't speak. All she could do was stand there, rooted to the spot, probably staring like a lunatic at Quinn's new roommate who was greeting them.

"Santana?" Came Rachel's voice from beside her. _Shit. How long had she been staring like that?_

"Oh, I… Uh…" _Why the fuck couldn't she form words? Words. Any words. Any words at all. _She looked up only to find piercing blue eyes staring back at her. _Big mistake. _They were holding her gaze with that same intensity as before, causing any hope she had had of speaking to disappear completely. The blonde, obviously extremely amused by the reaction she was getting from the darker girl, smiled – that same half smile, half smirk she had seen this morning. _Oh god. _

Rachel and Kurt made their way through the door being held out for them, all the while looking back at their friend with bemusement. Santana, eventually the function returning to her legs, followed them, throwing a polite smile in the direction of the blonde and muttering a quiet_ hey. _

_Hey. Was that the best she could do? She had stood there like an idiot for god knows how long, speechless and gaping at Quinn's new, and probably now very scared, roommate, and the best she could do was hey. Oh dear god Lopez._

"Don't worry about Santana, she's just like that. You'll soon get used to her delightful manners." Quinn's voice broke the awkward silence as she entered the living room, three glasses of wine in hand. "Santana, this is Brittany Pierce. Brittany, Santana Lopez. You guys might remember each other from Lima about a million years ago, back when S was actually a nice person." She shot a playful glare towards Quinn as she and Brittany were each handed a glass of red wine. After a large gulp, she decided to brave another look at the blonde in front of her. Rachel was right, she _was _really pretty. In fact, she was beautiful. Santana took her all in. Her hair was down this time, flowing in soft waves over her shoulders. She was wearing a cute blue top, with three or four buttons undone to reveal just enough cleavage, causing Santana's breath to hitch again in her throat. She hoped the blonde hadn't noticed. Black jeans were covering toned legs which seemed to go on for ever and, realising she had probably been staring too long again, the Latina took another sip of her drink before looking up to meet those eyes.

She was about to feel her cheeks heat with embarrassment, but when she looked up at the blonde in front of her, she saw her blue eyes weren't fixed on her own this time, but rather on somewhere a little south of her face. Smirking to herself and thanking god that she'd chosen this shirt to wear, Santana felt she had regained a bit of control and reached out a hand to the girl in front of her. Her blue eyes shot up from their place on Santana's chest, and her pale cheeks flushed pink.

"Hey Brittany." _Brittany. Brittany. Why was that so familiar?_

"Hi San." She replied bashfully, an adorable smile lighting up her face.

"Oh my god, _Britt." _Santana gasped, realisation flooding over her. It was _Brittany. _Brittany who lived across the street from her when she was like, what, five? Six? She remembered this one summer how she, Quinn and Brittany had been inseparable. _This is so weird. _She's so… _grown up._

"So you guys _do_ remember each other?" Quinn chimed in, jerking the two girls from their similar thoughts. They both turned to see the others watching them with amused expressions.

"Of course." Said Brittany, in a very matter-of-fact sort of way Santana thought was adorable. "We were practically next door neighbours! She hasn't changed at all Quinn!"

Ignoring Quinn's scoff at this remark, Santana took another sip of wine. It made so much sense now. Why she had recognised Brittany, why those eyes seemed so familiar, why her heart raced when she… well, maybe not all of it made sense, but still. She turned to face her childhood friend who was looking at her intently, her head cocked to one side and a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. A feeling of warmth rushed over Santana – not the kind of intense heat that had covered her body when she'd seen her at the studio – but the kind of feeling that made her heart flutter and her stomach twinge. Whatever it was, she liked it.

**…**

The five of them were now sat around Quinn's dining table, their finished plates sitting in front of them and various empty wine bottles littering the surface. Santana's eyes were fixed on Brittany, who sat opposite her. The blonde was telling a story, an impossibly large grin was stretched across her face and her hands were waving in front of her dramatically as she was explaining something to her captivated audience. Regular cries of laughter erupted from the group as Brittany told a funny story about her cat, Lord Tubbington, and Santana couldn't help but just stare. This girl was amazing. Every now and again, Santana caught glimpses of the little girl who used to rush over to her house after school and ask if San could come out to play. In some ways, she hadn't changed at all: that infectious smile, the one that was tugging at her lips right now, that mischievous little giggle which kept escaping from her mouth at intervals throughout her story, and those eyes, she could never have forgotten them. And she was sure she would never again.

Every couple of minutes, Brittany would glance over at Santana, her blue eyes flickering onto her own and lingering for just a moment before pulling away. And Santana was sure that each time she did, she noticed her the corner of the blonde's mouth lift ever so slightly upwards into a small smirk. So Santana was just watching her, waiting for each time she glanced her way. She was too captivated by the blonde to look away, and she was enjoying the silent connection which seemed to be going on between them.

Everyone seemed to be taken by Brittany. Not in quite the same way as Santana obviously, but Rachel and Kurt were both very approving of Quinn's choice of roommate. Rachel had naturally bombarded her with questions as soon as they sat down to eat, and Brittany had happily answered them all, giving adorable responses which couldn't help but make Santana smile. For example, when Rachel had questioned whether or not Brittany smoked (_way to be weird, Berry)_ I don't think she'd quite expected to hear about how Lord Tubbington had tried and failed many times to kick the habit himself.

So it turns out Brittany had lived in Lima until junior high when her mum had got a fancy new job in the city – something to do with banking, or finance or whatever – and they moved out here. Her parents are still friends with the Fabrays, so when they mentioned that Quinn was looking for a roommate, Brittany's parents suggested they meet.

"And as soon as we saw each other it was just like old times so I said she _had _to move in right away!" Quinn sang, beaming across the table. "And I just knew she'd be thrilled to see Santana, seeing as those two were practically joined at the hip once upon a time." Santana and Brittany both blushed.

"And why was it that you were in need of an apartment, Brittany?" Rachel asked, taking a sip of sparkling water. Brittany shuffled in her seat, suddenly looking very uncomfortable.

"Oh. I… um, well…" The blonde stammered, her eyes glued down to her hands which were fidgeting in her lap. Santana, seeing that she clearly didn't want to talk about this, jumped in and changed the subject.

"Hey, Brittany, you're at college, right?" The named blonde looked up at the Latina, the small frown on her face turning slowly up into a grateful smile.

"Um, yeah I've just enrolled at NYADA." She responded shyly. Barely had the words left her mouth and Rachel practically jumped out of her seat grabbing excitedly at Kurt who was sitting next to her clapping happily.

"We're there TOO!" She squealed. "This is so unbelievably exciting! How did I not know this? We might have classes together, we can meet up for lunch, we totally should…"

Santana stopped listening to Rachel's blabbering when she felt a light tap at her foot under the table. All ready to give Quinn, who was sitting to her left, a piece of her mind for kicking her, she looked up to see a different blonde staring up at her expectantly.

"You're at NYADA too, right?" Brittany asked quietly so as the others couldn't hear. Santana couldn't help but smile at the adorable, hopeful look on the blonde's face. She nodded, before feeling her cheeks heat up when she realised _how_ Brittany must know that she goes to NYADA. Santana had almost forgotten about their awkward encounter at the studio. _Fuck. Let's hope she hasn't put two and two together. _Yet by the smirk appearing on the blonde's face she _totally _has. _Great._

Wanting to crawl under the table and die from embarrassment, but realising that probably wasn't appropriate, Santana stood up quickly, much to the surprise of everyone at the table. She needed some air or something.

"More wine." She announced, and, grabbing a few of the empty bottles from the table, she headed towards the kitchen. It wasn't until she got up that she realised how tipsy she was feeling. Setting the bottles down, the dark haired girl stood there for a second, hands palm down on the counter, trying to compose herself.

_Why was she being so weird? Okay, so she had had a bit of an awkward moment with Brittany earlier, who she didn't realise at the time actually was Brittany, or Quinn's new roommate for that matter, or that she'd be seeing her again at dinner, or – okay, she needed to slow down. Deep breaths. Deep. Breaths. So Brittany's pretty? Like really pretty. And has an amazing body. But it's wasn't the first time Santana had found a girl attractive, so why was this so different? Why-_

"San?" Santana jumped, nearly knocking one of the bottles which she'd just brought in onto the floor. Brittany was leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"J-Jesus, Brittany, you scared the shit out of me." Santana managed to stammer out, her hand held at her chest whilst she tried to recover.

"Sorry," the other girl responded quietly. "Are ok you San?" She wasn't sure if it was the way the blonde kept using such an affectionate nickname, or if it was the adorable look of concern on her face, that made Santana's heart flutter, but either way, she couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay, I'm fine, Britt." She assured, smiling at her own use of the nickname _Britt. _"Just thinking."

"'Bout what?" Brittany asked cheerfully, her grin returning as she skipped over to the tanned girl.

"You, actually." Santana let out before she could stop herself, or the flirtatious smile that had found its way to her lips. But before she was able to stutter an apology, she saw her teasing smile mirrored on the blonde who was now only a few feet from her.

"Oh, _really?" _Brittany asked playfully. Santana felt herself nod as the blonde moved further towards her. "Good, 'cause… I've been thinking a lot about you too. Since this morning." She whispered as she took a step closer. It was all Santana could do to look back at her. Their eyes were, once again, fixed on each other's, blue staring into brown, and Santana could feel her breathing getting quicker and her stomach tightening. She felt herself getting hot and couldn't really think straight. Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself pulled into a tight hug. _Wait, what?_

"I missed you, San." Brittany said softly into Santana's shoulder, as the Latina smiled, and let out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding.

**…**


	4. The Brittany Smile

Chapter 4:

Santana knew she should probably break away from this hug right about now. Firstly, because it had now gone on for longer than a normal hug between two friends should – in fact, she was sure this was the longest hug any two friends had shared, _ever_ – and secondly, because if Brittany knew the kind of thoughts that had been going through her mind for the past few minutes, she's sure the blonde would have pulled away too. Probably in shock or disgust. But she just couldn't bring herself to. Maybe it was the way Brittany's arms were looped around Santana's neck so tightly, as if she never wanted to let go, or how her own arms fit so perfectly around the blonde's waist. Maybe it was the way Brittany had nuzzled into her shoulder, or the way Santana's whole body warmed each time she felt the blonde's breath on her bare skin there. Whatever it was, it made her feel warm and happy, and she sure as hell didn't want to let go.

A sound coming from the kitchen door jolted Santana from her haze. She shot her eyes open to see Quinn in the doorway, a few dishes in her hands, and a smirk across her face. _Now, Fabray? Seriously?_

"Aw, you guys." She cooed. _Fucking Quinn. Great timing as always. _At this, Brittany pulled her hands away from their place on Santana's neck, took a step back and turned to face the other blonde who had just entered the kitchen. The darker girl immediately missed the feeling of Brittany's skin on her own. The skin on skin contact had caused her to think about all the places she wanted Brittany's hands, and all the ways she wanted her to touch her, and the ways Santana wanted to-

"Earth to Santana!" The Latina turned to face Quinn at the mention of her name, her cheeks flushing at the inappropriate visions that had been flashing through her mind a moment ago. _Shit. _She hoped it wasn't obvious. "What happened to getting more wine? I think Rachel's about to suggest karaoke, so I need to be a hell of a lot more drunk if that happens."

"Oh, yeah." She managed to get out whilst trying to ignore the shade of crimson she was sure was now spreading across her face. _Get it together, Lopez._ "I was just taking five. It's best to deal with Berry and Teen Gay in there in small doses. I think Britt here was having the same idea." She said, shooting a wink towards said blonde, who was now leaning against the counter opposite her. Brittany responded with a cute little smile, before skipping towards the door.

"Be nice, Santana." Brittany ordered playfully as she made her way past Quinn to leave the room. "But, for the love of god, _please, _bring some more wine out soon." With a smirk aimed at Santana, she disappeared back into the living room to join the others. Making her way to the fridge to seek out more alcohol, Santana sighed happily, a goofy grin plastered onto her face.

"What's with _you?" _Quinn asked with a snigger, all the while inspecting the darker girl as she reached into the fridge and pulled out another bottle of red.

"What?" Santana responded in her most casual tone, turning to face her friend with her best innocent look.

"Nothing," Quinn said slowly, still studying the Latina's face. "It's cute." Ignoring the glare from Santana, she pulled herself up to sit on the counter, dangling her legs in front of her. "Isn't it great having Brittany back? She's so sweet, hasn't changed a bit. I can remember it like it was yesterday, us all hanging out after school, sleepovers at each other's houses, going to our ballet classes together. We had so much fun. _You guys_ were inseparable, it was so cute."

"Alright, Fabray, enough with the nostalgia. Yes, it's awesome to see Britt again, I mean, it's been what, like ten years? But I'm just trying to work out why you didn't bother to tell me it was her you were fucking well living with. Took me a _little _by surprise, I ain't gonna lie." Santana snapped, a little irritated by the devious smirk now stretching across her friend's lips.

"I _could _have told you S. But it was so much more fun seeing you panic and freak out like you did."

"I did _not _freak out!" She protested. "I was just surprised that's all." She said with a shrug, trying her best to appear unfazed.

"Oh, you _so _did. It was hilarious. And I'd forgotten about the _Brittany smile."_ Quinn continued, eyeing her friend, amused at how easily she was able to wind the girl up.

"The _what?"_ Santana demanded, trying to decide if she was more pissed off or embarrassed.

"You _know,_ the _Brittany smile. _That stupid grin you get on your face when you're around her." Santana stood there gaping, horrified by this revelation. "Oh come on, it was exactly the same when we were little. That girl could have asked you to jump off a cliff and you would have done it, no questions asked."

Seeing the chuckle trying to escape its way from Quinn's lips, Santana huffed and strutted towards the door, a bottle of wine held in each hand. "Whatever Q, memory lane's closed for today." Truth is, she _did _remember all those things – the sleepovers where the three of them would stay up for what felt like all night chatting, exchanging stories and secrets, those long summer afternoons spent down by the lake in Lima, those ballet classes Santana had loved so much before she was made to quit. She _loved _those memories. But with all those perfect memories came not so perfect memories – the shouting matches between her parents that would wake her up at night, that expression on her mum's face, a mixture of exhaustion and sadness which she got so accustomed to, and the picture burnt into her mind of her dad's suitcases by the front door. So no matter how much she wanted to think about back then, to reminisce and laugh about the memories they all shared, she _couldn't._ She wasn't going to. It was too hard.

**…**

A few moments later and Santana's bad mood had vanished. She couldn't help it, Brittany's smile was infectious. When she had returned from the kitchen, she saw the others had moved over to the sofas, where Kurt and Rachel were sitting next to each other, chatting excitedly about something. She turned to see Brittany on the other couch. She just looked at her for a moment and held her breath; she looked beautiful. Her blonde hair was draped over one shoulder, her brows were scrunched up adorably and her teeth were biting down on her bottom lip, obviously deep in thought.

Feeling the Latina's presence, the blonde looked up, her blue eyes immediately finding Santana's own. Seeing the corners of the girl's mouth curling up into a coy smile, Santana couldn't help but smile herself. It was probably the _stupid grin_ Quinn had just been teasing her about, but she didn't care. She felt all her bad feelings just sort of melt away and, when she watched Brittany pat the space next to her on the sofa, she felt her smile widen even more. Sitting down next to her, she felt her friend shuffle ever so slightly closer. It was almost nothing, barely even noticeable, but it was enough to make Santana's stomach tighten again.

"Hi." The blonde whispered, finding her again with her piercing gaze.

"Hey." Santana returned with a small smile, topping up Brittany's wine glass before refilling her own as well. As she was just about to get lost in those blue, blue eyes again, Quinn came in from the kitchen. Grabbing the bottle from the dark girl's hand and, that smirk returning to her face, she sat down on the other side of Brittany and poured herself another glass of wine.

Trying to shake off Quinn's knowing look aimed in her direction, Santana took a gulp, feeling the red liquid run easily down her throat.

"So, Berry. Tomorrow night. Still game?" She asked in an attempt to direct attention away from herself.

"Oh, yes!" Rachel shrieked. "I can't wait. I'm just so excited to get my performance done and finally let my hair down!" Santana rolled her eyes at her friend. _Lame. _She felt Brittany shuffle beside her on the couch and her breath hitched when a pale thigh brushed ever so slightly against her own.

"Britt should totally come too." _Wait, was that her who just said that? Was her mouth just acting of its own accord these days or what? Way to sound forward Lopez. _Before she could say anything to try and hide the very obvious eagerness to her voice, or divert the various looks of amusement coming from Kurt and Quinn, Rachel beat her to it.

"Oh, Brittany of _course _you must come! You see, it's my midterm showcase performance tomorrow, and Santana has kindly organised a night out to celebrate! It'll be wonderful, and you have to join us. I won't take no for an answer."

"I'd love to." Brittany replied with a huge grin. Santana managed to swallow a squeal when she felt a cool hand squeeze her thigh gently. She whipped her head to the side to see Brittany smiling at her, and mouth a _thank you. _Santana returned the smile and then awkwardly cleared her throat, realising everyone was looking at her and she should probably say something.

"Yeah, uh… We're going to Lola's. It's just round the corner from ours, it's pretty cool actually." The hand didn't move from her thigh.

"Our friend Puck's the manager there so we're pretty much guaranteed free drinks all night." Quinn added matter-of-factly.

"Awesome." Brittany replied, looking genuinely excited. "I know Lola's. I did grow up in this city remember?" She teased, her eyes still on the Latina who was blushing.

"Oh, ha yeah sorry. I keep forgetting you're actually a home-grown, tough New Yorker." She returned playfully, putting on her best Brooklyn accent. Everyone laughed, and Brittany gently squeezed Santana's thigh a second time. She felt her entire body heat up and a tug of arousal in her stomach. _Shit. This was going to be a problem. _

"I'm kidding, Santana. I actually only know that place because I know a guy who works there. Sam." _Sam? Who the fuck's Sam?_

"Oh, we know Sam!" Quinn exclaimed. _Okay, someone was going to need to explain who the hell Sam was. _

"Yeah, I've known him forever. We went to high school together." Brittany explained. "He's the sweetest. I think he's working tomorrow night actually, so I'm sure we'll see him." She wasn't sure why, she wasn't even sure who this guy was, but she didn't like him. Hearing the way Brittany talked about him, seeing the way her eyes lit up when she said his name, and the fact she could no longer feel her hand on her thigh. _Wait, was she jealous?_

"Santana, you know Sam." Kurt said, pulling her from her thoughts. "Floppy blonde hair, gorgeous eyes, impossibly good looking," _Right that's it. She definitely didn't like him._ "Huge smile?"

"Oh, you mean _Trouty Mouth_?" She giggled, realising they were in fact talking about the annoying, cute-in-a-preppy-sort-of way barman that would hit on her and Quinn whenever they went to Lola's. The others joined in with her laughter, except Brittany, who sat there, an adorable sort of confused smile on her lips.

"To Quinn's new roommate!" Kurt announced, holding up his wine glass for a toast. The others quickly followed suit.

"To Quinn's _awesome _new roommate." Santana chimed in, shooting a wink in the direction of the blonde.

**…**

Santana flopped down onto her bed. She was exhausted, partly from a long evening of chatting and reminiscing, but mostly from all the thoughts that had been rushing around her head since they had left Quinn's apartment. She had been quiet for the entire journey home, all be it only 15 minutes or so, replaying the evening's events.

When Rachel had decided it was late enough and that they should really go home in order for her to get some sleep before her big showcase, Santana couldn't help but notice the flicker of disappointment that had appeared briefly across Brittany's face. She also couldn't shake the memory of how she had pulled her in for another tight hug, and had lingered just that little bit longer than everyone else. She kept replaying in her mind the way Brittany's voice had sounded when she had told Santana she'd she her tomorrow, lower than usual, almost husky, and accompanied by a barely there smirk.

She had probably imagined all of it. To Brittany, and to everyone else, all the stolen glances and lingering touches were probably nothing, completely normal behaviour for two old friends, and it was just Santana being crazy, or light-headed from too much wine. But she couldn't help but feel that it was so much more than that, and every time she looked into those blue eyes she was sure Brittany could feel it too.

But what was _it? _Santana had felt that _attraction_ before, that familiar tug of arousal in her stomach and that pool of heat between her legs. _Please, she was the queen of one-night-stands, of random hook ups filled with passion and lust. _She knew that feeling of want, usually fueled by alcohol, when she laid eyes on a cute guy or even a hot girl across a bar. And Brittany was _hot._ But it was the intensity of the feelings she felt around Brittany which confused her. Even the first time she saw her in the studio she couldn't _breathe_, she couldn't _think _or _speak._ That had never happened before. She was usually so cool about this kind of thing, so _controlled._ But this… she couldn't figure it out. It scared her and excited her at the same time. It… _Ugh. This is why she doesn't do feelings._

**…**

Santana yawned and rolled over to glance at her clock. _11.03. _Oh, howshe loved Saturdays. She smiled to herself and snuggled back into her covers for a few more minutes, before finally throwing back the duvet and hopping out of bed. After a small victory dance celebrating her lack of headache, despite the amount of red wine consumed the previous night, Santana pulled on a hoodie and made her way into the kitchen. She was immediately hit by the smell of bacon and looked up to see Kurt at the stove, humming cheerfully to himself.

"I would _love_ some bacon, thanks Lady Lips." Santana remarked, drawing his attention away from the stove and towards herself.

"I'm sure you would." Kurt deadpanned, returning his concentration to the frying pan. "Shame you're not getting any."

"Oh come on, Hummel. Help a girl out here. Aunty Tana's in a good mood this morning and has decided not to get her bitch on_."_ She shot him a knowing look as he turned round questioningly. "_Yet."_

"Okay, okay," He gave in. "But only because I don't want to endure the wrath of a hungry Santana Lopez." He smirked and placed a bacon sandwich in front of her.

"Amazing. Thank you, Kurt, I owe you." She gushed, eyes wide, and practically drooling over the plate in front of her.

"Well. In that case…" He said, spinning on his heels, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. Santana immediately regretted her choice of words and froze, turning to her roommate and eyeing him suspiciously. "You can owe me by talking to me about Brittany." Her heart leapt at her name.

"What in the hell are you on about, Hummel?" She asked with a mouthful of sandwich, trying her best to control her racing heart. _Could he tell? Was it that obvious that she couldn't stop thinking about her?_

"Oh, I just want you to tell me about her." Kurt said casually, yet making no attempt at hiding the annoying smirk on his face.

_Okay, she just needs to act normal, like everything's fine, like she couldn't possibly know what he was talking about._

"Well, Lady Hummel," She began, finishing her mouthful and turning to face her friend. "She's Quinn's new roommate," she said slowly, dragging each word out as if she was speaking to someone who barely understood English. "You met her last night, she goes to NYADA. You know, that kinda large place we all go to and take classes at? She's-"

"Ha-ha very funny." He deadpanned. "I know all _that_, that's not what I meant. I was just wondering why you seem to act like an obsessed teenager when you're around her. You get all nervous and fidgety, and that big goofy grin, well-"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're blabbering about Lady Boy." She said, refusing to meet his gaze as she stood up and poured herself a cup of coffee. Sitting back down, she tried to act casual, grabbing the New York Times and flicking the page over. She looked up to see Kurt eyeing her questioningly. _Shit. What was she doing? He knows she never reads the paper._

"And I mean, Quinn told us about the _Brittany smile _and-"

"Right, I'm done here." Santana announced, leaping off her stool, grabbing her coffee (and the newspaper, just for good measure) and began storming off to her room. _Fucking Fabray and her fucking big mouth._

Once in her room, she launched herself back onto her double bed, only to land on something hard. _Ow. Fuck that hurt._ She fumbled for the offending object, and pulled her cell phone out from underneath her. A message from a number she didn't recognise was flashing at her.

_Hey Santana. I hope it's ok I got ur number from Quinn. She's out watching Rachel's showcase thingy and I'm kinda bored so just thought I'd see if u wanted to go get coffee. If u want. Cos I'm bored. Anyway text me. Oh it's Brittany by the way J_

Santana just stared at the screen for a few seconds. Brittany had just texted her. _Brittany _had just texted _her._ And it was probably the most freaking cute text Santana had ever read. And Brittany wants to see her. Today. _Shit. What should she do?_ On the one hand, Santana couldn't stop thinking about her, and all she had wanted to do since saying goodbye to her last night was see her this was the other hand, every time she looked into those blue eyes she was rendered completely speechless and immobile. _Not _ideal_._ Before she could finish her internal debate however, her hands had decided for her and she was quickly tapping out a reply.

_Brittany! So glad u texted I was literally just thinking about you- _

Wait. No. She needed to keep it cool. _Jesus what was wrong with her?_

_Hey Britt. So bored too, coffee sounds great. Starbucks in half an hour? – Santana _

Perfect – Short, causal, friendly. Content with her effort she skipped to the bathroom for a shower, a large smile spreading across her face.

**…**

Forty minutes later Santana was rounding the corner to the café, her stomach fluttering with nerves and excitement. _Kurt was fucking right. She was just like an obsessed teenager. She was twenty-one for fuck's sake, she had to get a grip. _Collecting herself, and determined to act like a normal human being, she pushed open the door and saw the blonde sitting at a table in the far corner. Brittany looked up and smiled brightly as the door chimed. Santana walked towards where her friend was sitting, returning her smile as she did so. _See, she could do this. She was just having a casual coffee with an old friend. An old friend who just happened to be really awesome. And adorable. And really hot. And- shit. _

"Hi." Brittany said softly, still smiling a big, genuine smile.

"Hey." Santana replied, taking a seat opposite her. The two girls just looked at each other for a few moments, grinning. Santana looked her friend over. She had her hair pulled up into a messy bun, she was wearing ripped blue jeans and a simple white tee, yet she still looked amazing. "Sorry I'm late. Lady Boy was taking forever in the bathroom. God knows what he puts in that hair of his." She rolled her eyes playfully, and smiled at the adorable giggle she received from the blonde in front of her. The truth is, she was late because she was stressing about what to wear. She had wanted to look casual, because, after all, this was just a coffee. But she still wanted to look _nice. _Seeing Brittany's chilled outfit, she was now happy with the jeans and tank top she had pulled out of her wardrobe.

"No worries, San." Again she smiled at the endearing nickname. "Although I did think I was being stood up for a second there." Brittany joked, winking at the girl opposite her who was now blushing slightly. "So, how come you're not at Rachel's showcase thingy?" She asked, smirking at the reaction she had gotten.

"Well, uh," Santana started, turning to get the attention of the waitress in an attempt to hide her pink cheeks. "Remember what I said about small doses, Britt." She said, turning back and leaning in towards the blonde. "Two and a half hours of Berry and her equally annoying classmates belting out an endless set list of Journey songs isn't something I plan on putting myself through again anytime soon." Brittany giggled again. A giggle that made Santana's heart flutter.

"She can't be _that _bad." She said through stifled laughter and Santana couldn't help but think how freaking cute she was right now.

"Nah, Berry's actually pretty damn good." She explained. "But don't you _dare_ tell her I said so." The Latina added hastily, pointing a finger at Brittany in a mock warning. And there was that giggle again. Santana loved that sound. But more than that, she loved that _she _was the cause of that sound.

After the waitress came over and the girls ordered their lattes, Santana asked if Brittany was looking forward to going to Lola's later.

"Yes!" The blonde squealed, and then proceeded to blush at her eagerness. "Ha, sorry, I'm just really excited to go out with you guys." She hastened, stealing a glance at Santana's eyes before pulling away again. "And I've texted Sam and he's definitely going to be there. He says he'll join us after his shift, so that'll be cool."

Santana tried desperately to ignore the wave of jealousy – _she was sure it was jealousy now – _that ran through her body at hearing his name again.

"Oh, yeah?" She asked, trying her best to sound disinterested. _For fuck's sake, Brittany isn't hers to feel possessive over. She might not even be dating Sam for all she knows. Get it together Lopez. _"So you're pretty tight with Trouty Mouth?"

"Yeah, I mean, I've known him for ages. We're pretty close, I guess, and-_ wait, _why do you call him that?" The blonde asked with an adorable little pout.

"Britt, come _on. _Have you not seen the size of those lips? You must have noticed. They're _huge_. I mean, _ginormous._ I could set sail on one of those babies." At this Brittany tossed her head back and let out such a beautiful, amazing laugh, that Santana wished she could go back in time and retell the joke, just so she could hear it again. But before she could come up with a way of hearing that laugh again, the waitress came over with their coffee. Grabbing both mugs and handing one to Brittany, Santana was just about to crack another joke about _Trouty Mouth _or _Froggy Lips _when she realised the waitress was still just stood there. Santana looked up to see the girl staring stupidly back at her with a goofy grin –_ probably exactly the same way she'd just been staring at Brittany, and possibly a little something like the 'Brittany smile' Quinn had so kindly informed her about._

"Uh, thanks." Santana said awkwardly, turning back to face her friend and rolling her eyes before the waitress eventually left them alone. _Sure, the girl was cute – blonde, nice smile. But she was only really thinking about one person right now, and that blonde was sat right in front of her. Smirking. Wait – why was she smirking?_

"What?" Santana questioned, throwing a hand up to her face for fear of finding a dollop of whipped cream there, or something equally embarrassing. "Why are you staring at me all weird?"

"No, no, it's nothing." Brittany responded, chuckling as she reached forward and brought Santana's hand away from her flushed face. She caught her breath as Brittany's hand didn't let go of her own. "I was just laughing because that girl was about as subtle as a fire engine." Santana just looked quizzically at the blonde in front of her and took sip of her coffee, unable to speak due to the current _hand holding _situation. "She was _totally _checking you out."

Santana almost choked on her latte. It wasn't that what she said was particularly _scandalous _or whatever, it's just that she didn't expect to hear it coming from Brittany. Sweet, adorable Brittany. The blonde giggled at Santana's shocked expression and squeezed her hand tight. "Don't worry San, she was totally cute." Santana thought her chest was going to explode. Firstly, because the way Brittany had just tightened her hand around her own sent a heat rushing through her entire body, and secondly, because of the meaning behind what Brittany had just said. _Was Brittany into girls? _She brought her gaze down to look at their hands, intertwined in each other's and then back up to Brittany. Blue eyes were staring back at her, flickering between her own.

"San?" _Shit. She must have spaced out again._

"Uh, yeah?" They continued to hold each other's gaze. Brittany's eyes were searching her own again, as if looking for the right words to say. Santana could hear her heart racing in her chest.

"Yesterday. At NYADA. When you-"

"Is there anything else I can get you guys?" The waitress reappeared, cutting Brittany off. She may have said _guys_, but she was definitely just staring at Santana again. The Latina could see another smirk tugging at Brittany's lips, and she felt her hand let go of hers. She immediately missed the warm feeling.

Santana turned to glare at the waitress who had been the cause of her loss of contact with Brittany. "No, just the bill."

"Here you go!" She handed Santana the receipt in a second, ignoring the death stare she was being given and returning it with a large smile, before disappearing again. The Latina looked back at Brittany who was staring at the piece of paper she was now holding, a mixture of surprise and amusement spreading across her face. She reverted her gaze to her hands, where the word _Sophie_ was scrawled in pink writing, followed by a number._ Ha. _She wasn't sure whether to be pleased with herself or embarrassed, but hearing the blonde start chuckling left her no choice but to join in. The two girls sat there trying to stifle the giggles which were escaping their mouths. Brittany's laugh was just so infectious, Santana couldn't help it. After all, it _was_ pretty funny. Here she was, sitting across from the girl that had been consuming her thoughts for the past two days, getting lost in her blue eyes, holding her hand, and yet the waitress had been the one to give Santana her number. _The waitress. Typical._

"Nice work, Santana!" Brittany teased, when their laughing had finally subsided.

"Well, what can I say?" Santana replied playfully. "I'm one hot bitch."

"Totally." _Oh my god. _Brittany's blue eyes once again found her own. _Don't read anything into that, Lopez. That was a completely friendly, platonic, asexual comment. Get it together. _

"I… Uh, have to go." _Or not. Whatever. _"You know, cos Berry's gonna be back from her showcase any moment and if no one's there to welcome her and shower her with compliments all hell's gonna break loose." She said with an eye roll and Brittany giggled. _Good save._

"Okay." The blonde replied, standing up from her seat and grabbing her purse. "Lord Tubbington's probably wondering where I am anyway." _This girl is too cute. _They walked together towards the door, sniggering when the waitress shot one last smile in their direction, and stepped out onto the street.

"This was so nice, San." Brittany admitted quietly and smiled at her friend, who returned it warmly.

"Totally. I'll see you later Britt-Britt."

"Yes you will." She said with a smirk before spinning on her heels to walk away. She had barely taken two steps when she turned back to face Santana. "By the way, I should warn you."

"Yeah?"

"When I drink, I tend to… Well, I'm kind of… a stripper-type drunk, if you get me." And with that, she smirked again, winked at Santana and disappeared around the corner.

_Oh shit. This could definitely be a problem._

**…**


	5. Body Shots

Hey everyone! Here's another chapter. I think you'll enjoy this one ;) I've started the next one too which you'll _definitely _enjoy! Ha so keep the reviews coming, love reading them, so... let me know what you think! x

Chapter 5:

It was now eight o'clock. Santana was standing in her underwear staring at the array of clothes strewn across her bed, the same position she'd been in for the past five minutes.

She had barely been able to relax all afternoon. After she got back from her coffee with Brittany, she had tried to chill out and watch TV, but all she could think about was the blonde. She'd gone back to her room, grabbed her iPod, and tried to listen to some music, but the only thing she could hear was that perfect little giggle. And when she was in the shower, letting the warm water run over her body, hoping it would wash away with it all her confusing thoughts, all Santana could think about was how Brittany's hands would feel all over her body. Her _naked _body. And then all she could think about was _Brittany's_ naked body, and how much she wanted to run _her_ hands all over it. And - _Fuck._

So now here she was, in her underwear, trying to figure out what to wear, and the only thing she could think about was the last thing Brittany had said to her - that she was a stripper drunk. A _stripper _drunk. Meaning that she tended to take her clothes off when she drank, and she was going to be drinking _tonight. This could definitely be a problem._ It was one thing trying to pretend this was nothing when all she was doing was imagining Brittany without clothes on, but actually _seeing _it? Santana was sure she wouldn't be able to control herself, especially if there was going to be alcohol involved. Everyone knew what Santana was like when she drank, it was no secret. Usually her friends would find her pinned up against a wall, her legs wrapped around some guy's waist, or in the bathroom, getting her mack on with some drunk and curious girl. It was normal to Kurt and Rachel if she didn't come home after a night out, or if they heard her sneaking in at four in the morning. _But so what? She liked sex. _She didn't really care who it was with, or whether it was a guy or a girl, or even if she remembered it the next morning. It was just _physical._ That's what she needed to get her mind off Brittany – sex. Hot, drunk, meaningless _sex. Why had she not thought of that?_

_Okay, she needed to look hot tonight. Like really hot._ She needed to go home with someone, or at least as far as the restroom in the bar – _what? She didn't say it was going to be classy – _and so she needed to be on her best game. The thought also brushed through her mind that she wanted to look good for Brittany. Santana was sick of feeling like a pathetic school girl around her, and she decided tonight it was her turn to make _Brittany _squirm. Just a little bit. Or a lot. She had noticed the way the blonde had taken her hand in hers earlier, rubbing small circles in her palm with her index finger. She had glimpsed what had looked a little like jealously flash across her blue eyes when the waitress had given Santana her number. And she hadn't forgotten the smirk directed her way as the blonde turned to go home, knowing she was leaving Santana with various images of _Stripper Brittany _in her mind. Maybe she had completely imagined all of that, maybe she had misread all the signals, fuck, maybe Brittany wasn't even into girls – Santana wasn't even sure if she was herself – but if she hadn't, if Brittany was feeling all the same things Santana was, she was sure as hell going to drive her crazy tonight. And she couldn't wait.

With that thought, she grabbed her tightest, sluttiest dress from the heap of clothes on her bed and lifted her legs one by one to step into it. Okay it wasn't _that _slutty – it was still respectable – but it definitely looked hot. Santana smiled smugly at her reflection when she turned around to face the long mirror by her wardrobe. The dress was short, and her toned legs looked amazing as she stepped into a pair of her favourite heels. The black material hugged every curve on the Latina's body and the deep neckline highlighted her breasts perfectly. _Damn Lopez. _She may not have bagged herself a fancy Broadway audition like Rachel, or have an impressive internship at Vogue like Hummel, but she sure as hell knew how to work it.

**…**

An hour later, Santana, Kurt and Rachel were sitting at a booth in Lola's, a bottle of Champagne courtesy of Puckerman in front of them, waiting for the others to join them.

"To Rachel," Kurt announced flamboyantly, holding his glass up and gesturing for the girls to do the same. "Who blew everyone away her showcase today and who is without doubt going to be the next star shining bright on the Broadway stage. A household name, held in the utmost regard among the likes of Barbara Streisand and Liza Minnelli, an icon, a visionary, a-"

"Alright Lady Hummel," Santana cut him off, rolling her eyes at her friend. "I think we get the picture. Let's round this up so I can gets my drink on. To Berry." She finished, clinking her glass against the others' and knocking back a large gulp of Champagne. _That's better. _

"So when are Q. and Britt getting here?" Santana asked in her most casual voice. She shuffled in her seat, trying to avoid Kurt's knowing grin directed her way.

"Any minute!" Rachel beamed, taking a sip from her glass and scrunching up her nose as the bubbles hit her throat. Santana had to admit, she liked it when Rachel drank. Drunk Berry was much more bearable than sober Berry, and actually pretty entertaining. She remembered last Halloween, how Rachel had climbed up onto the bar, dragging the poor barman up with her, who she then proceeded to use as a pole for an extremely amusing 15 minute dance routine. _Hilarious. _

Santana took another mouthful of Champagne, and began to scan the bar which was filling up quickly, as it always did on a Saturday night. She was looking for a target; someone who was hot enough and drunk enough to help get Brittany out of her head. Just as she thought this however, her searching gaze landed on said blonde who had just stepped through the door with Quinn. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. Her heart race picked up and she felt that familiar heat once again consume her body. _Holy fucking shit Brittany looked hot. _She kept her gaze fixed as she watched her and Quinn scan the room, looking for where there friends were sat, and suddenly felt blue eyes on hers. Rachel squealed opposite her and waved the two girls over, and she heard Kurt wolf whistle from his seat next to Rachel. Brittany's eyes stayed fixed on her own as the pair made their way towards the booth.

"Quinn!" Rachel shrieked, forcing Santana's eyes away from Brittany's, only for her to lower them and find that smirk twitching once again at the blonde's lips. "Brittany! You look amazing!" Rachel continued, and, wow, she _did _look amazing. Santana let her eyes trail down Brittany's body, following cascades of long, blonde hair which fell over her bare shoulders, lingering on her cleavage that was pushed up by her blue strapless top, over her tight, black skirt and down over those long, bare legs. She snapped them back up to the blonde's face, realising she'd been leering, and then remembered her game plan. _It's your turn to make her squirm, Lopez. _

"Hey." The Latina drew out, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "You've still got your clothes on then." She said in a low and quiet voice as the blonde squeezed into the booth next to her. Santana internally congratulated herself as she watched pink appear on her friend's cheeks.

"For now." Brittany teased. _She was definitely flirting._ "But careful, Champagne is my weakness." She whispered, leaning into the Latina, so that as she spoke, Santana could feel her warm breath brush against her neck. Her stomach tightened, and she crossed her legs in an attempt to ignore the burning heat that was beginning to gather between her thighs. As she did so, she felt Brittany's gaze drop down to her lap, before raking slowly up Santana's body, pausing on her chest before pulling away. The Latina smirked. _Brittany had just checked her out. It was so freaking obvious. And she was sure of it now, whether or not her friend was usually into girls or not, she was definitely into Santana at this moment. _

With her new-found confidence, Santana took the Champagne bottle from the ice bucket on the table, grabbed an empty glass and began pouring, all the while keeping her eyes on Brittany. She handed her friend the drink without a word, just a small smirk on her face, and watched those blue eyes twinkle with something a lot like mischief. _You've got this, Lopez._

"Hey Q." She said, tearing her eyes away from Brittany so as not to be _too _obvious. "Drink?"

"Sure, thanks." Quinn's eyes narrowed on the darker girl suspiciously. "Rach, you were fantastic today, congratulations." The five of them began to discuss Rachel's show, sipping on their drinks and making their way through the bottle in front of them. After about 20 minutes or so, Santana began to get bored with the conversation and could feel the slight buzz kicking in from the bubbly. She glanced to her left and eyed the glass in front of her blonde friend, which was at least her third and decidedly empty. _Excellent._

"As much fun as this _Berry-fest_ is, I'm gonna gets me another drink." The Latina announced, getting to her feet. "Britt, you coming?"

"Totally." Brittany smiled happily at the invitation, before standing up and following her friend towards the bar. Santana smirked as she felt the blonde's gaze fall to her ass, putting a little extra shimmy to her step for good measure.

"Oi, _Fuckerman._" A tall guy with a Mohawk spun around to face them from behind the bar. "Me and my girl Britt, here, would like a drink." A devilish grin stretched across his face as he not so subtly raked his eyes up and down the blonde standing next to her. _Gross. That was only ok when she did it._

"_Your _girl hey, Lopez?" He stepped towards them and leaned forward, resting his arms on the bar to get a closer look at Brittany, who blushed. "She's hot." The blonde smiled bashfully and turned to at Santana, who was glaring at Puck.

"Ew, gross. Please close your mouth, Puckerman, you're drooling." She snapped, clicking her fingers in an attempt to draw his eyes up from their fixed place on Brittany's cleavage. She suddenly felt very protective of her friend beside her. "Leave Britt-Britt alone. You're _definitely _not her type. Now run along and make us a drink." He sniggered, before turning his attention to Santana.

"So she's _your _type is she Lezpez?" His grin was even wider now, and if Santana wasn't completely frozen to the spot and unable to move, she would have lunged across the bar and gone all _Lima Heights _on his ass by now.

"What? Uh, n-no. Shut up, Puckerman." She stammered, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. With that, he turned and disappeared into the back room. _Shit. Totally screwed. _Santana was used to nicknames like that from Puck, and they never really bothered her - out of all her friends, he probably knew the most about her _fluidity_, shall we say,when it came to her sexuality, and he was pretty cool with it. But what was _not _cool, was him pretty much outing her as a straight up (_excuse the pun_) lesbian in front of the girl she hadn't been able to stop thinking about for days – in front of Brittany, her _friend, _who she had known since she was like five and would play naked in her paddling pool, and share baths with and-

"San?" _Shit._ She whipped her head round to meet blue eyes that were staring at her again with that mischievous twinkle. "So… I'm not your type huh?" _What?_

"What?" Was all Santana could get out in a sort of half gasp half whisper. She waited for Brittany to speak again, but she didn't. The blonde just furrowed her brow slightly, tilted her head to the side and smiled teasingly. "I… Uh, no. I mean, you're…" _Yes you're totally my type. I literally can't stop thinking about you and I really want to fucking kiss you right now. In fact, I want to do more than fucking kiss you right now._

"San, I'm kidding." Brittany giggled, enjoying how nervous her friend had become. Santana let out a nervous chuckle. She caught her breath again when Brittany took a step towards her and leaned in close, just for a second, before whispering, "I totally hope I am your type though." _Holy shit. _

Before Santana had a chance to process what Brittany had just said, or even managed to work out if she had said anything at all because it was barely a whisper, or had time to notice the tug of arousal at her stomach, Puck had returned with their drinks.

"Here you go, ladies." He set two cups of bright pink liquid down on the counter. "Enjoy." He winked at Brittany before smirking at Santana and disappearing off to the end of the bar to serve another customer. _She was going to need something stronger. _

Standing on her tip toes and reaching over the bar, Santana pulled out a bottle of tequila from its usual space on the shelf. She did the same again, this time pulling her hand out with two small glasses, before pouring Brittany and herself a shot. Giggling at the look of bewilderment on Brittany's face, she handed her one of the glasses of clear liquid.

"Don't worry Britt," She assured her friend with a grin. "Puck doesn't mind. And besides, he owes me." _He sure as hell owed her after that dumbass move he just pulled. _The two girls pushed their glasses together and tossed back their shots. "Speaking of which, sorry about Puckerman," Santana continued, grimacing at the strong liquid running down her throat. "He can be a real douche sometimes. I can only apologise on behalf of my oaf of an ex-boyfriend."

At this, Brittany's eyebrows raised. "Ex-boyfriend?"

"Yeah, we used to go out."

"Oh." _Was that jealousy she could sense in Brittany's tone?_

"Back in high school, I mean. God, it feels like a million years ago now. It was mostly a sex thing to be honest, Britt, although fuck knows how I ever found that Mohawk look attractive." She rolled her eyes playfully, before smiling at the giggle now escaping the blonde's lips. Starting to feel the buzz from the shot they'd just taken, she grabbed her drink and leaned into her friend. "Come on, Britt-Britt, we better get back to those losers."

As they made their way back to the booth, Santana smiled as Brittany's hand found her own so as not to get separated in the crowd. The blonde's fingers interlaced with hers and she felt that warmth rush over her again. When they returned to their table, they found the others chatting and laughing happily.

"Santanaaa! Brittannyyy!" Rachel jumped up and flung an arm around each of them. _God, Berry was such a light weight. _"You guys are both so pretty. I think it's time for shots!" Santana and Brittany exchanged an amused look as they sat down, opposite each other this time, at the table. Santana immediately realised this was a mistake as the blonde was now directly in her eye line, and she could feel blue eyes burning into her.

"Great idea Rachel! I think we should take full advantage of the fact that our apartment is so close and no one has to drive tonight." Kurt announced, waving his hand to get the waiter's attention. She'd already had quite a bit of Champagne plus a tequila shot, and the vodka cranberry in her hands was going down very smoothly, so Santana was now _definitely _feeling the buzz.

"I'm in." The Latina said, followed quickly by eager nods from Brittany and Quinn.

"So," Quinn began, gathering the attention of everyone again. "Brittany and I were reminiscing earlier about that one summer a million years ago when we spent practically every day down by that lake in Lima. Do you remember, Santana?"

"Mm yeah."_ She did. _She remembered everything about that summer. She remembered how the three of them would prepare a huge picnic, lay out a rug and eat their feast sprawled across the grass, how they would go swimming in the lake, giggling and screaming as they splashed around. She remembered how they would lie under the warm sun, Brittany playing with her hair and stroking her finger soothingly up and down her arm. Santana hadn't thought about that summer in ages. She couldn't help the wistful smile which stretched at her lips, and, looking up to see Brittany with a similar expression, she wondered if she was thinking about the same thing.

"That summer was the best." Brittany chimed in, grinning an ear to ear smile. "We had so much fun! San, do your parents still have that tire swing in their back yard?" She asked excitedly. Santana didn't answer. The mention of her _parents_ had soured her blissful trip down memory lane. It was at the end of that summer that her dad had left. Just up and went, leaving her and her mum alone. She took a large gulp of her drink. Quinn, seeing her friend's reaction, jumped in.

"I'm pretty sure it was still there when we visited her mum last Christmas." She said to a confused looking Brittany beside her, squeezing her arm and giving her a look as if to say _don't worry about it._ The sudden tension around the table was forgotten about when a male voice broke through the silence.

"Can I get you guys anything? Oh, hey Britts!" At the affectionate nickname directed towards Brittany _not _coming from herself, Santana was jolted from her pity party and shot her eyes upwards. _Sam._

"Hey, Sam!" Brittany sang back, leaping to her feet and wrapping her arms around his neck. Santana watched, her fingers tightening around her cup as he enveloped the blonde in a large bear hug and lifted her off the ground. She squealed as he put her back down, before returning to her seat. Sam greeted the others at the table one by one, arriving at Santana last.

"Santana." He said, nodding his head and grinning in a way he probably thought was sexy.

"Trouty Mouth." She responded with a small smirk, exchanging a glance with Brittany, whose lips were also lifting into a small smile. "Some tequila shots please, Guppy Lips. And keep 'em coming. We're thirsty." With a goofy salute, and a wink in Brittany's direction, he disappeared again. _Fucking Sam. _As the others slipped back in conversation, Santana felt a buzzing in her purse. Opening it up and grabbing her phone, she froze when she saw the message flashing at her.

_I should probably warn u. Tequila shots are also my weakness… -Britt_

_Oh god. _Santana's breath hitched in her throat and she had to cross her legs again to control the pulsing she now felt between her thighs. _How did just one text from Brittany have that effect on her?_

Santana lifted her gaze cautiously to the blonde opposite her, only to find her deep in conversation with Quinn. _So that's how she was gonna play it huh? _She tapped out a reply and hit send, holding her breath as she watched Brittany's phone buzz across from her on the table.

_That's totally fine with me. We'd better just hope no one suggests body shots… -San_

Santana managed to stifle the laugh that tried to escape when she watched Brittany's eyes practically pop out of her head, and a pink blush appear at her cheeks. The Latina's gaze remained on her as she shuffled in her seat and kept her eyes on her lap, presumably typing out a reply. Santana's suspicions were confirmed by the buzzing in her hand and she glanced at her phone once more.

_Yeah, that could be dangerous… _

_Ps. You look amazing tonight -Britt _

Santana felt her heart flutter and her stomach tighten and she tried to control the wide smile stretching across her face as she looked up to the blonde. This time, she was met with a smirk. _Shit, she's good._

It was weird, Santana thought. She could remember so well that cute little girl she used to play with. They were so _close_, always laughing together and telling secrets, holding each other's hands and playing with each other's hair. She remembered how sad she'd been when Brittany had told her she was moving away, she was sure she had cried for days. And now here they were, ten years later, and she felt just as close to her. She could feel right now in this moment that same connection they had always shared as kids – she remembered how they would joke that they were telepathic and could read each other's minds. It was exactly the same, and it was different. She felt that same warmth when the blonde looked at her, but now it was accompanied by an intense heat and a thumping in her chest. Before she could wonder if Brittany could feel it too, Sam reappeared with a tray of shots.

"Here you go guys, on the house, courtesy of Noah Puckerman." The blonde boy announced cheerfully, setting the tray down on the table.

"Did I hear my name?" Puck appeared out of nowhere, a grin plastered to his face and squeezed in next to Santana.

"Noaaahh, we're doing shots, join usss!" Quinn exclaimed, slurring a little.

"Yes, you must." Kurt agreed. "We're celebrating Rachel's wonderful showcase performance!"

"Well, in that case…" He grabbed one of the glasses and lifted it up. "To my little Jewish princess!" He knocked back the shot in one gulp and leaned in close to Santana to whisper, "So, Lopez, you banging that blonde or what?" _Ugh, boys._

"Shut up, Puckerman." She hissed. "You are _not _in my good books after earlier."

"Chill, girl. I got your back, don't worry." He replied with an evil grin, before turning his attention back to the group. "Now, because this is a special occasion," He nodded towards Rachel who was giggling. "We are going to do this _Puckasaurus_ style." _What the hell was Puckasaurus style?_ "Body shots!" _Oh dear god. _Everyone around the table clapped excitedly at this fantastic idea, except Santana whose eyes shot up to Puck, and then to Brittany. She was looking just as surprised as Santana, eyes wide and cheeks flushed, but when she caught the blonde's eye, they both covered their mouths to stifle a giggle. _Things were about to get interesting._

"And I nominate…" Puck continued, eyeing up each person in the group, but Santana knew what was coming. "Newbie over here," He pointed to Brittany, who whined in protest. "Aaannd… Santana!" He whipped his head round to the Latina, who rolled her eyes. "_Seriously, _Puckerman? Why?" She wasn't sure how she felt about this idea. Okay, so the idea of running her tongue over Brittany's bare skin sent a jolt of pleasure through her body, but she wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of all her friends being there to watch. She stole a glance at Brittany, whose cheeks were even pinker now, and Santana could tell the blonde was fighting back a smile.

"Because, Lopez." Puck began, enjoying every second of this. "It'll be fun. Besides, think of it as your punishment for stealing drinks from behind the bar again." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, before turning back to the others.

"Go on, Santanaaa." Rachel whined. "You haves to because it's my cele-celbra-celbration, and I said so." Santana couldn't help but laugh at how she stumbled over her words.

"Oh, come on!" Kurt chimed in. "In all my years that I have known her, Santana Lopez has never once passed up on a dare." He continued, a mischievous sort of gleam in his eye. "Why should tonight be any different?" _Maybe because once her tongue touches Brittany's bare skin, she may actually lose all battles with herself and jump the poor girl right there and then?_

"_Fiiinne." _She groaned. "Puckerman, go gets me some salt and lime." He did as he was told and returned within seconds, making no attempt at hiding the hungry grin making its way across his face. _Idiot. _Santana stood up and wobbled a little. She hadn't realised quite how drunk she was and now that she was standing up, everything felt a bit hazy. The buzz was exhilarating though, and she could feel the alcohol pumping through her veins and spurring her on as she made her way round the table towards where Brittany was sitting.

"Stand up." Santana said in a soft and low voice. She could just make out the sounds of the others shouting and cheering them on, but her head felt kind of foggy and the voices sounded sort of muffled, like they were underwater. Brittany stood up, her eyes fixed on Santana. "Now get on the table." She ordered, a little more forcefully this time. _She was going to make the most of this._ The blonde obeyed without a word, the tiniest of smirks tugging at her lips. Santana's heart was racing, and she could now barely hear the chants of her friends. She didn't care though, she was only thinking about one thing.

The Latina picked up the lime segment and handed it to her friend who was sitting on the table, legs dangling in front of her. The blonde's gaze held Santana's as she placed the lime in her mouth and closed her lips around it. The Latina's breath hitched in her throat. _Fuck this was hot. _"Lie down." Brittany did so, her eyes still locked on Santana's. She could barely think straight, the rest of the room and everyone in it seemed to sort of disappear as she looked at the girl lying in front of her, at her mercy. _She was so fucking turned on right now. _Santana took a step forward. Her heart was now hammering in her chest as she closed the distance between them. A wave of heat flooded over her body as she placed her hands flat on Brittany's stomach, at the place where her skirt met her top. _Fuck. _She tightened her fingers around the material of her top, and began to push it up slowly, revealing a toned, pale stomach. _Wow. _Keeping her eyes glued to Brittany's abs, she continued to push up her shirt until her fingers came into contact with lace. Realising she'd just touched the fabric of Brittany's bra, Santana shot her eyes up to see Brittany's lips smile around the segment of lime. She returned the smirk as she slowly grabbed the salt shaker from the table, and proceeded to leave a trail of white along the length of her stomach.

Santana felt her heart thumping in her chest, her breath quickening and her mouth starting to dry out. She smiled at Brittany before stepping forward again and placing her hands on the blonde's bare hips. Her own stomach tightened at the contact. Now she couldn't hear anything except her own shallow breathing and the only thing she could focus on was the trail of white in front of her. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips, before she leaned in and placed it on the warm skin of Brittany's stomach. She managed to suppress a moan as the blonde's abs tightened under her touch. She began to drag her tongue slowly up Brittany's toned stomach. She wanted to _tease_ her, to draw this out as much as possible. _And, fuck, she was enjoying this way too much. _She smirked as she dipped her tongue into her friend's bellybutton and continued up until she reached the patch of skin just below her bra.

Santana lifted herself back up, removing one hand from the girl's hips to take the shot glass that was sat to her right on the table. She knocked it back in one, letting the cool liquid run down her throat, before she licked her lips again, and leant forward once more, refusing to look away from the blonde's piercing eyes. As she got closer, she noticed they were now a much darker shade of blue, which made the Latina smirk again. The blonde held her breath when Santana finally closed the distance between them and sucked on the lime which Brittany held firmly between her teeth.

Eventually the darker girl pulled away and straightened herself up, licking her lips once more before a smile spread its way across her face. As Brittany sat up and removed the lime from her mouth, the two exchanged a look. It was just for a second. But Santana knew that look, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"That. Was. Awesome." Puck blurted out, eyes wide and mouth ajar. Santana had almost forgotten the others were still here. As her surroundings came back into focus, her heart rate slowed and her breathing became manageable again. _Wow. That definitely was awesome._

"Yes, Bravo, Bravo!" Kurt cried, followed by a small round of applause from the table. Rachel was giggling hysterically and Quinn was eyeing her up with an amused expression. But Santana didn't care, because _holy shit that was probably the hottest thing she had ever experienced. Like ever. _She turned back to Brittany, who was clearly thinking the same thing if her flushed cheeks and heaving chest were anything to go by. Santana wasn't sure what to do next. She was feeling pretty drunk now and didn't really want to sit back down. She needed a change of environment she needed-

"Let's dance!" Rachel exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and tugging Quinn with her. _Yes, she needed to dance._

"Great idea, Berry. Britt?" Brittany was already on her feet and grinned at Santana before grabbing one of the remaining shot glasses and tossing it back. The group made their way over to the dance floor, the music getting louder and louder the closer they got. She smiled when once again Brittany's hand found her own as they pushed their way through the crowd.

**…**


	6. The Bathroom Stall

Hey guys! Hope you like this chapter, it was quite fun to write. Keep the reviews coming, I love reading them! x

Chapter 6:

_Things began to get a little foggy again. But in a good kind of way. _Santana wasn't really sure who she was dancing with or even how long she'd been dancing, she just knew she was dancing. A _lot._ Santana could feel the bass pounding in her chest and the buzz of the tequila running through her body. It felt _amazing. _She wasn't sure where Quinn and Rachel had disappeared off to, and to be honest right now she didn't really care, but she spotted Kurt grinding with some cute guy and giggled. After shouting something immature like _go get a room – _she couldn't really hear herself over the loud music – she spun round to see where the others were. Puck was nowhere to be seen – probably off cornering his next unsuspecting victim, and Brittany… Brittany was-

"Hey Santana." She whipped her head round and tried to focus her eyes on the blonde grinning in front of her. _Brittany._

"Britt-Britt!" Santana flung her arms around her friend. _Oh god she was so drunk._ "I missed you!"

"I missed you too." The blonde had to lean in so that the darker girl could hear her. Feeling her warm breath once again brush over her neck sent a shiver down Santana's spine – the good kind. "Dance with me, Santana."

"I _am _dancing, silly!" Santana replied with a chuckle, because she _was _dancing.

"No." Brittany said softly into her ear. "Dance _with_ _me."_ She repeated, grabbing Santana's hips and pulling her closer. _Shit._ Brittany's body began to move with the music – Santana couldn't really focus on what song was playing, she knew she recognised it, but everything was still kind of hazy. But then she felt Brittany's hip grind into her and _shit, she'd forgotten how good of a dancer Brittany was. _Her mind flashed back to that first time she'd seen her in the studio, how she'd caught her staring and how she'd stared right back with those blue eyes. Santana daren't look up. She knew if she locked onto them now she wouldn't be able to control herself. She felt the blonde grind into her again, and this time she couldn't hide the moan which escaped.

"Santana." The blonde whispered into her ear.

"_Fuck, _Britt-" The Latina moaned again, because _holy shit she could not be more turned on right now._

"_Santana_." Brittany said again, this time with more force, causing the darker girl to finally look up at her. _Fuck, Brittany looked just as turned on she felt. _Her hair was kind of tousled in a sexy, just-been-fucked sort of way, her cheeks were flushed pink, and the eyes staring back at her were the darkest shade of blue Santana had ever seen._ Wow. _"That so wasn't fair, Santana." She couldn't bring herself to speak right now, her heart was beating too loud and her breathing was so quick and her mouth didn't seem to want to form words. She just stared back at those dark blue eyes. "That... Body shot." Brittany's breathing was heavy too, she could hardly get her words out. "You… That. _So _not fair." She breathed, her smirk growing. _Oh god._

"That was totally your fault." Santana managed to reply, her own smirk growing too. Brittany giggled that completely adorable and sexy giggle, and then pointed to herself with an innocent expression as if to say _who, me?_ "Yeah, I so blame those abs." Santana teased, flicking her eyes down to where her tongue had been not too long ago and _fuck, she wanted it there again so badly. _At that, Brittany's smile grew wider and more mischievous. Her right hand moved from the darker girl's hip and round to her lower back, before pulling her in tighter. Santana let out a small whimper as her body was pressed right up against the blonde's. Another jolt of Brittany's hip and Santana could feel the arousal begin to pool between her legs. _Fuck._ Her hand shot up to tangle in blonde hair and her face moved to rest in the crook of Brittany's neck. She could feel the warmth of her skin, and she was sure Brittany was just as wet as she was. And suddenly the realisation of what they were doing, and where they were doing it, rushed over her.

"Brittany." Santana mumbled into her neck. She felt Brittany's muscles tense as her breath brushed against her hot skin. The blonde pulled her closer. "_Britt."_ This time Brittany stopped and stood still, releasing her hold slightly and pulling back so that she was looking right at her. _Shit. _Looking right at her with those blue eyes now dark with lust. "Britt, I-"

"Santana," She whispered, not once lifting her gaze. "Santana, tell me. Just… Just tell me what you want." Her voice was so soft and so adorable and so sexy all at the same time that Santana just stood there, losing herself in this moment for a second.

"I… I want…" She watched as Brittany's eyes darted down to her lips, and then back up to meet her own. Suddenly Santana remembered about her game plan. She remembered the slutty dress she was wearing, and the way she'd seen those blue eyes rake over her body earlier that night. She remembered the way she'd been thinking about Brittany in the shower, and how she hadn't been able to get her out of her head all day. She remembered that she was meant to be driving _her _crazy.

"I… I want you to come with me to the bathroom."

She watched as Brittany's eyes widened, and she smirked as the blonde licked her lips before nodding slowly_. _Santana took Brittany's hand in her own, turned on her heels and walked purposefully towards the ladies room. She pushed open the door and scanned the room to see that no one was inside. _She was going to do this. She was going to do what she'd wanted to do ever since she'd laid eyes on Brittany in that dance studio. They may be friends and she may be Quinn's roommate and she may be a girl but fuck it, she couldn't care less right now. _

Santana stopped and her hand let go of Brittany, who was still behind her. She spun around to look at her, like _right _at her and into those eyes of hers before taking a step towards her. The blonde just stood there, her chest heaving up and down, biting on her bottom lip and searching Santana's eyes with her own. _Fuck. _If there were any doubts in her mind, the look on Brittany's face right then made every single one of them disappear – a sort of amazing mixture of confusion and lust and _happiness_ - and before she knew it Santana was crashing her lips against the blonde's. _Wow. _

Her left hand gripped onto Brittany's hip, pushing her hard against the bathroom door, her other hand shot up to tangle in blonde hair. Brittany's arms looped around Santana's waist, and the Latina let out a groan as the blonde pulled her tight against her. Brittany moaned, parting her lips to take Santana's bottom one in her own and _holy shit this was the like hottest thing ever._ Unable to suppress the whimper that escaped her mouth as Brittany sucked hard on her lip, Santana's hand moved from blonde hair to grasp around Brittany's neck. Desperate for more, Santana pressed herself even closer against the blonde and pushed her tongue through her parted lips. Santana felt Brittany groan into her mouth as she deepened the kiss, finding the blonde's tongue with her own. Santana shuddered at the feel of Brittany's wet tongue brushing against hers and _fucking hell she tasted so good. _She could feel her pulse pounding in her chest and between her legs and _holy fuck this was amazing and she never wanted this kiss to end and- shit. _The openness of the two girls' situation suddenly dawned over Santana in a wave of panic, and she became all too aware of what they were doing in a very _public _restroom. A whine of protest escaped Brittany's lips as Santana pulled her head away, breaking the kiss. Panting heavily, she looked up into dark blue eyes, which were now staring back at her with confusion.

"Santan-?" Her voice was breathy and barely audible.

"Britt. Stall, now." She ordered, before pulling the blonde close and reconnecting their lips. Santana stumbled backwards towards one of the bathroom cubicles, guided by Brittany's firm hold on her lower back. Once inside, she let the blonde spin her around and this time it was the Latina who was being pinned against the door. She heard the click of the lock and let out another moan as Brittany's lips found her neck, licking and nipping at every inch of skin there. Lifting her head back to allow her more access because_ fuck this felt so good_, she gasped as the blonde sucked down hard on her pulse point. Next, Brittany began to drag her tongue down the length of her throat, over her collarbone, pausing at the soft curve of her cleavage. Santana thought she had stopped breathing altogether when she felt Brittany's lips press down once more as the blonde sucked hard on the skin just above the line of her dress.

"_Fuck, Britt-"_ She gasped, cutting herself off with another moan, this time not bothering to hold it in as she felt arousal pool between her legs. She knew where her friend wanted to go, she could sense where her tongue was eager to explore and _holy shit she wanted so badly just to pull down the straps of her dress and let her._ But something stopped her; something in the back of Santana's drunk, blurry mind told her _not now, not here._ Instead she grabbed onto Brittany's neck and pulled her back up so that she was once again level with her face. With her other hand, she gently cupped Brittany's flushed cheek, and held her gaze for a moment. The girls stood there for a second, their faces inches apart, breathing heavily and just taking each other in. Santana couldn't help but notice the softness in Brittany's eyes and the curve to her lips and think what a sweet and beautiful moment this was in the midst of all the heat and the passion.

Needing to touch her again, to be close to her and to feel her lips once more against her own, Santana pulled Brittany in towards her and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. The blonde sighed into her as her tongue once again found the Latina's.

"You really do… look amazing… tonight." Brittany gasped out in between kisses, her hands grabbing tighter at her friend's waist.

"_God, Britt-"_ Santana moaned as Brittany's hands made their way across her stomach and her tongue once again found her neck. Santana couldn't think straight, she couldn't hear anything above the pounding in her chest and everything was kind of spinning as the blonde began sucking on her pulse point as she had done before. "You're so… _Fuck, _Brittany." The Latina held her breath as she felt Brittany's hands moving up her stomach towards her chest, and all she could think about was how _fucking amazing _this felt and how she never wanted this to stop and-

"Santana?" _Shit. _Quinn's voice cut through the air as the girls broke apart.

"Y-yeah?" Santana managed to get out, her breathing still heavy and her head still spinning.

"Have you seen Brittany?" The Latina's eyes locked onto blue and the two girls just stood frozen for a second, staring at each other, Brittany's hands still on her sides and Santana's holding their firm grip around her neck.

"Uh, n-no." Santana replied, trying her best to hide the roughness to her voice, her eyes still fixed on the blonde in question.

"Um, okay. Well… if you do, can you tell her we're leaving soon?" Santana muttered a _sure_ as she heard the restroom door close and Quinn disappear again.

_Shit._

Santana tore her eyes away from Brittany's and looked down. "We should… um…" She didn't really know what she was trying to say and she didn't really care because _holy fuck that was so close. _She pulled her hands away from the blonde and turned quickly to open the door.

"Santan-"

"We need to go." She watched as Brittany flinched at the hardness of her words. She didn't care how much of a bitch she sounded right now, she ignored the look of hurt which spread its way across the blonde's face as she walked purposefully towards the door, all she could think about how she had almost just been caught full on _making out_ with Brittany in a public restroom – _Brittany,_ a _girl_, who just so happened to betheir childhood friend and Quinn's new roommate and _shit, this was going to be bad tomorrow. _She pushed open the door and let it slam shut behind her, leaving her friend alone in the bathroom.

**…**

_Holy shit. Worst. Hangover. Ever._

Santana groaned and rolled over onto her front, burying her face into her pillows. She felt _awful. _Her head was pounding, her ears were still ringing and a sick feeling was quickly building in her stomach which forced her to turn over onto her back again.

Wrenching an eye open to glance at her clock which was flashing 11.30, and thanking god it was Sunday, she looked down to see herself still fully clothed and her heels kicked off on the floor. _How much did she drink last night? _

_Shit. Last night. _

Images of the previous night began to flash through Santana's head, her memory slowly returning to her in a jumbled, hazy sort of mess. She remembered having Champagne and Rachel giggling and Puckerman was there and… She remembered dancing and drinking tequila and –

_The body shot. _Santana's heart began to beat fast as she remembered the way those blue eyes had held her gaze as she ran her tongue over Brittany's toned stomach. She remembered dancing with her, the way her body had pressed right up against her own, and how her hip had jolted into her sending a rush of arousal down her body. And then she remembered kissing her. A _lot. _Santana felt herself getting hot as she thought about how Brittany's tongue had felt against her own, and how her lips had felt pressed against her neck and- _fuck. _

_Quinn._

Santana could feel her heart racing now as she recalled how her friend had walked in on her make-out session in the bathroom. She scrunched her eyes shut as she remembered the suspicion that had laced Quinn's voice as she addressed her. _Shit, did she know?_

Groaning loudly again, she peeled off the covers and tentatively got out of bed, taking care not to upset her delicate stomach with any sudden movements. _She needed coffee. _Santana stepped out of last night's dress and pulled on some pyjama shorts and an old sweatshirt. Holding onto her throbbing head, she forced the memory of last night from her mind and staggered into the living room.

"Dear god, you look awful." Kurt announced with an amused smile, eyeing up Santana as she dragged herself into the kitchen and shot a glare his way. He was stood leaning against the counter, clutching a bowl of cereal. Rachel was sat hunched over at the island and lifted her head from her hands as the Latina entered the room.

"How are you feeling, Santana? Kurt was just about to come and check you were still alive." Taking the scowl directed at her as answer enough, she returned her head to her hands. "I'm feeling horrendous if it's any consolation. I blame Puck and his stupid shots!"

"Inside voice, Berry, _please._" Santana grunted as she poured herself a large cup of coffee. "And in answer to your question, not good. I feel like I've been hit by a fucking bus." She slumped down on a stool opposite her friend, mirroring her position and burying her face in her hands.

"You kind of look like it too." Kurt mumbled through a mouthful of cereal, chuckling at the death stare he received. "So what happened to you last night? You disappeared for like an hour. Which poor, innocent victim did you find to grind yourself up on in the bathroom this time?" Santana almost choked, somehow managing not to splutter coffee all over the island. She whipped her head round to see Kurt looking at her with a smirk. _Did he…? No, he couldn't. There's no way he could have found out. Shit, she needed to calm down. _

"Just some guy." She muttered with a shrug and returned to her coffee. Rachel then chimed in.

"Yeah, Brittany disappeared as well." _Shit, shit, shit._ Kurt's grin grew as he watched Santana's cheeks redden slightly. "Quinn and I were searching everywhere for her. She didn't want her to have to find her way back to the apartment by herself."

"How strange." Kurt added playfully, still eyeing the Latina, clearly finding this very amusing. "Maybe Brittany got lucky too?" _Oh god. _Santana did her best to sound disinterested, mumbling a response and keeping her eyes fixed on her coffee. Suddenly her phone buzzed on the table and she thanked god for the distraction. She picked it up and saw a message flashing from Quinn._ Shit, shit, shit._

_If you're still alive, I hope you've remembered we're having lunch today. See you at 1. – Quinn_

_Fuck._

Santana had completely forgotten about her plans with Quinn today. Even though she really didn't feel like seeing her after last night, and she _definitely _didn't feel like eating anything just yet, she knew it would just raise more suspicion if she didn't go. Downing the rest of her coffee, she lifted herself from her stool.

"Who was that?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not that it's any of your business, Lady Hummel," She snapped. "But it was Q. We're having lunch."

"If I wasn't feeling so terrible I'd join you." Rachel said with a sigh.

"Well that's lucky, Berry, 'cause I don't think the restaurant allows hobbits in." With that, she stomped off towards her room, leaving a hurt looking Rachel and an amused Kurt behind.

"She's so mean when she's hungover." Santana heard before slamming her door behind her.

**…**

An hour later, Santana was sat opposite Quinn, a very large and much needed glass of water in front of her, listening to some boring story about her politics class. She had showered, thrown on some sweats and pulled her hair up into a tight ponytail, before walking the three blocks to the restaurant. The shower and fresh air had helped a little with the hangover, but she sure as hell still couldn't stomach food, so staring at Quinn who was currently devouring a large sandwich was not helping her fragile state.

"You eat like a pig, Fabray. It's really not pleasant to watch." Santana took a gulp of her water and tried to concentrate on something other than the growing feeling of nausea in her stomach.

"Don't be a bitch Santana. Taking out your hangover on me isn't going to make you feel any better." _How did she know?_ "Anyway, I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day because there's no food in the house. Brittany's out grocery shopping now." At the mention of the blonde's name, Santana's eyes shot back to look at Quinn, who was now eyeing her suspiciously. "Speaking of Brittany," She lowered her sandwich to the plate and shifted in her seat. "Did you do something to her last night?" _Yes. She did a lot of things to her last night. _

"What the fuck do you mean?" Santana spat out, trying her best to hide the nervousness in her voice.

"Well, she was acting really weird this morning," Quinn began slowly. "And she seemed kinda upset or something. Anyway, you guys disappeared for a while last night and… Well, I was just wandering if you… said something to her?"

"Said what exactly?" The Latina was annoyed now. Why would Quinn assume it was _her _that had upset Brittany? She knew she could be a bitch sometimes, but for Quinn to automatically suspect Brittany's bad mood was Santana's fault was just harsh. And then she remembered the look one Brittany's face. The way her expression had filled with confusion when Santana had pushed the blonde off her, and how her eyes had glistened with hurt when she turned and left her in the bathroom. _Shit._

"Well… I know how you can be Santana." Quinn said tentatively, choosing each word carefully. "Especially when you've been drinking… and Brittany's very… sweet. And you're, well… you can be quite mean, Santana." The Latina opened her mouth to protest but Quinn silenced her with a wave of her hand. "And don't get all defensive, you know it's true, and that's what most of us love about you. You've never exactly _held back_ when it comes to sparing people's feelings – I mean, in sophomore year you told Rachel that she should move to Israel." Rolling her eyes at the smirk forming on Santana's lips, she continued. "I just mean that I can see how Brittany could be an easy target… You two may have been inseparable when we were little, but… You've always been very _different. _She's-"

"She's a wonderfully kind person and I'm a straight up bitch. Is that what you're trying to say?" Santana snapped, hurt at the words coming from her friend, but knowing that they were kind of true.

"Well, I wasn't going to put it like _that_, but… just don't take advantage of her ok? Brittany doesn't need someone like you _influencing _her." _Rude._

"She's not stupid, Q. And she's a grown woman, she can look after herself. We're not kids anymore." Quinn had always been jealous of her and Brittany. _Everyone_ had been. Although growing up they were very much a trio – _the unholy trinity_ they used to call themselves_ – _Santana and Brittany were always closer. She didn't know why, they just were. They just sort of had this unwritten bond, a kind of unspoken connection that they were best friends. They would always be holding hands, or playing with each other's hair, and it was always the two of them who stayed up longer than Quinn at their sleepovers, telling more stories and sharing more secrets. That's where this was coming from, Quinn was just jealous.

But Santana couldn't help but think that this was more than that. It was like Quinn didn't think Santana was _good enough_ for Brittany, and now that she thought about, she kind of agreed. She was a bitch, she was nasty to people, she wasn't exactly _focussed _on her studies, and she definitely partied way too much. She was a bit of a mess, really. _Fuck. Quinn was so right._

"I'm not saying she's stupid. She's just… _impressionable._ Whatever, I just… If you've said anything to her can you just sort it out? I've never known Brittany to be upset. It's like looking at a kicked puppy." With that, Quinn returned to her sandwich.

"Whatever."

**…**


	7. Jealousy

Hey everyone! I had to keep writing after the last chapter and managed to get down another. So enjoy! And loving your reviews, keep 'em coming, I want t know what you think! x

Chapter 7:

Santana hated Mondays. She wasn't sure why they were ever invented in the first place because they're by far the worst day of the week and no one in their right mind likes them. The weekend should just skip straight to Tuesdays which were much more bearable. First of all, she had to get up early for her Musical History class at 9 – which, by the way, was like _the_ most pointless thing ever because who the hell wants to listen to some bullshit about lame-ass composers who are all dead now anyway? – And then she had to wait around for an hour before her next class started, which was what she was doing now.

She was sat at a small table in the corner of the café on campus, sipping on her latte and tapping away at her phone. She had been texting Puck, arranging their next night out. She still wasn't pleased with him for the whole _body shot _incident, which she blamed entirely for what happened later with Brittany, but they had fun together and he got her free drinks at Lola's so…

She tapped out a message telling him she was game for a night out in the next few days and hit send. Santana definitely needed another night out soon. She needed to get her drink on and then she needed to get her mack on with someone who was not Brittany. She needed to get the blonde out of her head. Another reason she now disliked Mondays, was that she had her dance class next, which normally wouldn't be a problem - Santana loved dancing, and she was pretty damn good at it – but now it meant the very real possibility of her bumping into said blonde. She really wasn't ready for that kind of awkwardness and _fuck, it was going to be so awkward._ She didn't know what she was going to say or how Brittany was going to react after she blew her off. Should she just completely ignore it and pretend it never happened? _No, that would be weird. _Maybe she could claim her drink got spiked and she doesn't remember anything about that night. _No, also weird. _

As she got out of her seat and made her way out of the café towards her next class, Santana continued to search her mind for the right kind of excuse, or explanation, or _something_ that would let Brittany know it was a mistake. A mistake that had happened to feel amazing at the time, a mistake she secretly wished she could repeat, but still a mistake. She wasn't into girls. She definitely wasn't going to develop proper _feelings _for any of them. Sure, it was fun every now and again when she was drunk and horny, but it couldn't turn into anything more than that. That's all she had been on Saturday night. Drunk. And definitely horny.

Santana didn't have to wonder about the possibility of bumping into Brittany for much longer before she did just that. As in _literally_ walked smack bang into her.

"Shit, sorr-" _Oh god. _

"Hey, Santana." Brittany knelt down and picked up Santana's bag which had fallen to the floor in their collision, before straightening herself up and locking her eyes on the Latina.

"Uh…" _Shit. _"Hi, Brittany." The blonde had clearly just come from dance class. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, she was wearing probably _the _shortest shorts Santana had ever seen - _fuck her legs looked amazing – _and a loose tank top. Her face was flushed and she was kind of sweaty but Santana couldn't help but catch her breath at how sexy she looked. _Shit, no. This wasn't the game plan. Get it together, Lopez._

Brittany broke their awkward silence. "Can we, uh… talk?" She asked in a tiny voice, pulling her eyes away from Santana's and looking nervously at the floor. "About Saturday?" _Oh god. _Santana looked around them. The corridor was filled with NYADA students walking past in both directions, chatting and laughing. She did _not _want to talk about this here, where people could hear them, where rumours could spread and where people could put a label on her.

"There's nothing to talk about, Brittany." As soon as the words left her mouth Santana could taste their sourness. She knew she was being harsh, she had to be, but it was still hard to see the look of hurt appear on her friend's face and the sadness in those blue eyes. _She now knew what Quinn had meant about the kicked puppy._

"I… Um, okay, but-" The blonde started in a quiet voice, her eyes searching Santana's. The Latina pulled her eyes away so that Brittany's couldn't find what they were looking for – hope, or the truth maybe – something that they would definitely find if they looked much longer.

"Britt, we were both drunk." Santana said flatly, in a lower tone now so no one would overhear. "It was nothing. We need to just forget about it, okay?" Even she could feel the lies in her own words as she spoke them. She knew she wasn't going to forget about it, she didn't want to. But she had to. Quinn was right, she wasn't good enough.

"What if I-" The blonde began to ask, reaching out to take Santana's hand.

"Britt, I'm late for class." She pulled her hand free from Brittany's grasp and strode off towards her classroom. _Shit. That was horrible. _She knew it was the right thing to do, but why did it feel so completely wrong?

**…**

Santana slumped down onto the couch and grabbed the remote. She turned on the TV and began to watch some crappy MTV reality show. She wasn't really watching though because all she was thinking about was how shitty her day had been. She hadn't been able to concentrate at all in her dance class after her conversation with Brittany. She'd fucked up all the steps to her routine and now she was in a shit mood.

_Fucking Mondays. _

Deciding to switch off the television because she was now just sort of staring blankly at it, she made her way over to the kitchen area to seek out some tea. Or maybe wine. _Was five o'clock_ _too early for a drink? _Going with _no, _because she'd had a particularly shit day which definitely justified the need for something stronger than tea, she reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of red.

"Back on the booze already are we?" Kurt asked as he made his way into the kitchen, eyeing the sizable glass of wine Santana was now pouring herself.

"Fuck off, Hummel." She snapped, returning the bottle to the fridge.

"Bad day?" His eyes widened as Santana gulped down almost half the glass in one.

"You could say that." She placed her glass on the island and pulled up a stool. "And, no, I do _not _want to talk about it." She added, glaring at her roommate.

"I wasn't going to ask!" Kurt responded, lifting his hands up playfully.

"Can I ask you guys something?" Rachel shouted from the corridor, before appearing at the door holding two dresses in her hands.

"Yes, Berry. You're moustache is particularly noticeable today."

"Ignore her, Rachel. She's in one of her moods." Kurt said with a sigh and a shake of his head. Rachel shook the look of hurt from her face and removed the hand which had shot to her upper lip in embarrassment, and made her way over to the others. "And if it's fashion advice you're after, look no further. Kurt Hummel is here to offer you his expert advice and knowledge."

"Well, then, Mr _Vogue intern,_" She began, holding up her hands to show him the dresses she had been holding. "Which one? I have a recital tomorrow and I want to look smart and pretty and sexy, but not too sexy, I still need to appear professional and I want to feel comfortable and-"

"No one gives a shit, Berry. You're blabbering is driving me insane." Santana groaned, before taking another gulp of wine. "And, anyway, how do you even find stores that sell clothes for hobbits?" Before Rachel could make an attempt at a comeback, Santana's ringtone started up and her phone began to vibrate in front of her. She grabbed it from the island.

_Quinn._

"What the fuck do you want now Fabray?" Santana snapped. She really didn't feel like listening to another one of Quinn's lectures. She couldn't stop thinking about their conversation in the restaurant yesterday, and hearing the sourness of her words. _Brittany doesn't need someone like you._ She kept replaying it, over and over again, each time feeling more of the sting.

_"What did you do?"_ Came Quinn's cold voice over the speaker.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

_"Brittany." _The word froze in the air as Santana swallowed hard. "_What did you say to her?" _When Santana didn't respond, Quinn continued. She sounded like a teacher telling off a student. _"I told you to fix it, and now she comes home from class even more upset than yesterday. So I'm asking you, what did you do?"_

"Oh fuck off, Q." Santana spat. Kurt and Rachel had now turned their attention to the Latina, who had begun pacing up and down the kitchen. "Why is it that _I _have to have done something?"

_"Because you always do something, Santana. Just because you're angry and depressed and you hate the world, doesn't mean you can drag everyone down with you. I'm not surprised your dad left you." _Santana froze. She felt her cheeks getting hot and she could sense the beginnings of tears building up behind her eyes and _she was not going to cry._ Rachel stepped towards her, suddenly full of concern at the expression now on the Latina's face, and took her hand in hers.

"Fuck you Quinn."

_"Look, whatever. I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. I just… Santana I'm just pissed and worried about Brittany. She left, just stormed out. I have no idea where she is or-"_

Santana pressed hard on the red button, cutting Quinn off. She didn't want to listen to her anymore and hearing that Brittany had left and was now missing made her feel even worse.

"Are you ok?" Rachel asked in a small voice, her eyes wide and staring up at the Latina.

"I'm fucking fine." She snapped and pulled her hand from Rachel's, before storming off to her room and slamming her door shut. She tapped out a quick message to Puck, telling him that they were going out tonight, and to meet her at Lola's at 9.

**…**

Having showered and pulled on a tight black skirt and her red top with the particularly revealing neckline, she began doing her make-up. _Fucking Quinn. _How dare she say those kind of things? She was meant to be her friend, and sure she might have been angry, but that did not make it ok for her to bitch at her like that. The worst part was that as Santana went over Quinn's words in her head, she began to hear the truth behind them. She _was _angry. She had been for a long time actually. After her dad had left, she watched her mum become angry too, and depressed, and then just… sad. She couldn't understand how her dad could just _leave. _How he could just walk away from the woman he was supposed to love and the child he was supposed to cherish. That's when it had all started – the drinking, the partying, the need for meaningless sex because she didn't want to feel anything, she _couldn't_ feel anything. And Brittany had moved away; she was no longer able to be soothed by her words or softened by her touch. _Brittany. _

_Fuck._

Santana needed a drink, to get drunk. She needed to forget about everything for a while and she needed to stop with all these _feelings._ Applying the last of her make-up, she stepped into a pair of black heels and grabbed her purse. She picked up her phone and made her way through the living room and towards the front door.

"Where are you-" Rachel began from her seat on the sofa.

"Out."

**…**

Santana scanned the room and caught sight of Puck sitting at the bar, talking to the blonde barmaid who was now throwing her head back and laughing. _Classic Puck._

"On the prowl already, Fuckerman?" Santana deadpanned as she took a seat next to her friend.

"Lopez." He grinned and nodded at her before turning back to the blonde. "This is…"

"Brooke." The bimbo giggled as she took out two beers and placed them on the bar in front of them.

"Lopez, this is Brooke." Puck pointed to the girl as his eyes raked down her body and back up. _Gross._

"Don't give a shit." Santana said dryly before taking a swig of beer. _That's better._

"I see you're in a delightful mood." Puck retorted, looking disappointed as Brooke turned her attention to another customer. "Thanks for that."

"Oh you'll get over it, Puckerman." She took another gulp, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid down her throat.

"So," Puck began, twisting on his stool to face his friend. "I'm guessing you don't wanna talk about it?" She shook her head. "Okay, so how's the blonde?" He grinned devilishly.

"Why don't you ask her yourself, doucheface?" She spat, gesturing towards Brooke who was now at the other end of the bar.

"Not _that _blonde." He chuckled. "_Your _blonde."

"Who?" She watched as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, you mean Brittany? She's not _mine_."

"Yeah, whatever Lezpez." He took a gulp of his beer. "She's hot. I don't blame you."

"She's… We're not- Oh shut up, Puckerman." She shoved his arm jestingly. His grin didn't falter.

"You don't fool me, Lopez. I saw you practically dragging her to the bathroom the other night. Have fun in there?" He sniggered as Santana's eyes widened and her cheeks pinked. "It's cool, dude. No one else saw."

"If you tell _anyone._" Santana jabbed a finger into his chest. "I swear to god, I will shove my foot _so _far up your ass, you-"

"I won't, I won't!" Puck laughed. "I got your back, Santana." _Yeah well the last time he said that, she ended up licking a line of salt up Brittany's bare stomach._ "What's the deal with you two anyway?"

"Nothing." She took one last gulp of beer before setting it down and reaching over the bar like before for the bottle of tequila.

"Didn't look like nothing from where I was standing." Puck teased and Santana stuck her tongue out at him. She reached over the bar again and pulled out two glasses, before filling them with the clear liquid. "You two are old friends, right?"

"Yeah… It's complicated." Santana took a sip and grimaced as the strong alcohol hit the back of her throat.

"Santana Lopez, complicated? There's a first." He said and she chuckled at the mock horror across his face. "With you it's normally just straight in, straight out. If you catch my drift." _She did._

"I do, thank you very much, although you can hardly talk. There's a reason I call you _Fuck_erman." She bit back with a smirk and took another gulp of her drink.

"Oi, don't change the subject. Do you _like _her?" He asked tentatively, leaning forward.

"Puck, she's a girl." He stared at her for a moment, studying her face.

"So? Why does that matter?" Why _did _that matter?

"I don't know, it just… I can't, Puck. It's too… I just-" She stopped because _fuck. _She froze. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open and she couldn't say anything because _Brittany. _Puck followed her gaze and turned around to see said blonde sat at a booth on the other side of the bar, her arms draped over a preppy-looking blonde guy. _Sam._

Santana and Puck watched as Sam leaned in to whisper something in Brittany's ear, who tossed her head back and laughed loudly. They remained silent as the pair stood up, Sam throwing his arm around her shoulder as they made their way to the dance floor. _What the actual fuck. _

Santana couldn't watch this anymore, she couldn't just sit there doing nothing. Jealousy raged through her body and she stood up, knocking back the rest of her _very strong _drink and began marching towards where the pair had disappeared. She didn't think about what she was doing, she didn't give a shit about how crazy she looked, she just had to do something.

"Santana, don't-" She heard Puck say but she didn't care. She was already gone, striding over to the dance floor, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. She could already feel the buzz from the alcohol and it only spurred her on as she pushed her way through the crowd. _She was so angry. She needed to do something, do anything. She just needed to stop this. Whatever this was._

And then she saw them. And she stopped. And she just watched them, their bodies locked together, her arms around his neck and his hands on her waist. He watched as Sam leaned in an whispered something in her ear and his hand slipped down towards her ass and-

"What the _fuck _do you think you're doing?" Santana shouted above the pounding music.

"Santana?" Brittany let go of Sam and turned to her, her face riddled with confusion. The blonde stepped towards her, but the Latina looked right past her and at the boy standing next to her, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

"Hey, you, _douchebag._ Get the fuck away from her." She took another step closer as she saw the smirk tug at his lips.

"Santana." She heard Brittany say from behind her but she didn't lift her gaze from the boy in front of her.

"I don't mean to be a bitch. Actually, I do. Get your _giant_, guppy lips and wandering hands away from my girl Britt here." She felt a hand tug at her own and Brittany pulled her around. Her blue eyes bore deep into her own and she felt a little dizzy from the alcohol and the music.

"Santana." Brittany said once more, holding her grip on the Latina's hand. "What are you doing?" What _was _she doing?

"I, uh… Britt, he was…" Santana trailed off. She couldn't really think straight and she didn't quite know what she was trying to say.

"Britts, are you okay?" Santana heard Sam's voice from behind her but Brittany's eyes remained on her own.

"I'm fine, Sam. I'll meet you at the car." Her voice was stern. She felt Sam brush passed her and disappear into the crowd. "Why are you doing this, Santana? You don't get to do this. After earlier… what you said… you don't get to do this." She repeated. Santana opened her mouth to speak, but Brittany cut her off. "You're drunk, Santana. You should go home."

"But I-" She took a step towards the blonde.

"Go home, Santana." _Shit._

**…**


	8. Feelings

Thanks for all the reviews everyone, love getting them. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, and don't panic, Brittana is most definitely end game! Let me know what you think! x

Chapter 8:

_Thank god it was Friday. _

The past few days had rushed by in a sort of blur. Santana was now grateful to be back at the apartment, in her sweats and sprawled out across the sofa, after a very shitty week. She hadn't seen or heard from Brittany since Monday night. She'd tried texting her and even calling, but she'd had no reply. She'd barely seen Quinn after their fight on the phone, and Kurt and Rachel had decided to keep a safe distance, not wanting to endure the wrath of a pissed off Santana Lopez. _Wise move. _

She'd felt awful when she woke up on Tuesday morning, partly due to the large throbbing in her head (_thank you, tequila)_, but mostly because of the realisation of what had happened flooding over her. She wasn't sure whether she should feel sad or probably embarrassed, or definitely _guilty_, but she just kept picturing the look of hurt that she'd seen spread its way across Brittany's face, and the way her voice had cracked slightly when she'd told her to _go home, Santana._ Santana had acted crazy. Like genuinely, clinically _insane_. She knew it had been fuelled by alcohol, as well as a bad day – what with bumping into Brittany at NYADA, followed by her argument with Quinn on the phone – but she'd just sounded so jealous_, _like a jealous _girlfriend. _Here was her old friend, who she hadn't seen in forever, who she'd flirted with shamelessly, proceeded to make out with in a restroom, only to then tell her it was nothing, and then ended up yelling at a guy who was just dancing with her. _Congratulations, Lopez. You've finally fucking lost it._

Brittany probably thought she was insane now too, and most likely never wanted to see her again. But Santana_ needed _see her again, to speak to her, to apologise and to be soothed by those blue eyes once more. It had only been a few days, but she missed her so much. _How the fuck was that even possible?_ Until last week, Santana hadn't seen her for years, and now here she was, unable to get the blonde out of her head. See, this is why she doesn't do feelings_. Feelings suck_. She knew now that she had feelings for Brittany. She didn't quite know what they were or what that meant, but they were definitely feelings.

_Right, that was it_. Santana heaved herself up from her place on the couch, grabbed her phone from the coffee table and strode purposefully towards the door. She didn't bother to change out of her sweats or put any make up on, she just picked up the keys from the little shelf by the door and made her way out. She didn't have a plan, she didn't know what she was going to do or say, she just knew she had to see her.

**…**

The elevator doors sprung open. Santana inhaled a deep breath, took a determined step out into the corridor and then stood still, staring up at the door of Quinn's apartment. Her heart racing, she took another step forward and _shit, she was so nervous. Why was she doing this again?_ Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath and knocked once, twice, three times on the door marked 302. _Okay, she could do this. She was going to walk straight up to Brittany and apologise and sort this whole mess out and-_

"Santana?" _Quinn._ Her friend stood in the doorway, surprised by her unexpected visit.

"Err… Hey, Q." The Latina looked down at her feet as a tense silence surrounded the two friends. She hadn't quite prepared herself to deal with _both _blondes, one awkward conversation was definitely enough for one day.

"Look, I… Santana I'm really sorr-"

"Don't worry about it, Fabray, really. It's fine." Santana interrupted her because it _was _fine. She didn't want things to be weird with Quinn because of some stupid fight over the phone. She'd missed her friend this week. "We were both pissed and having a bad day." Santana watched Quinn breathe a sigh of relief. "Plus, you _were_ being a bitch." She added with a playful smile.

"And so were you." Quinn returned with a matching grin as Santana rolled her eyes.

"And so was I." She gave her friend a hug – a very _quick _hug because Santana wasn't really big on hugging – and made her way past her into the apartment. Quinn asked if she wanted something to drink and Santana shook her head _no._ She needed a clear head. Alcohol was _not _her friend at the moment.

"I'm um… I'm actually here to see Brittany." Quinn closed the door and turned to face the Latina with a confused smile, a little surprised by her revelation.

"Oh?" Santana nodded shyly. "Uh, ok… Good, sure. She's in her room. It's the one Tina had before she moved in with Mike." She pointed down the hall and Santana nodded again, before saying _thanks_ and making her way out of the living room. _Deep breath. She could do this. _She paused to collect herself before knocking tentatively on the door. She stood and she waited and then she thought quite seriously about turning and running away and then-

"Santana?" Brittany's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she shot her eyes up to see the blonde staring at her with a look of genuine disbelief. The two girls stood for a second, just looking at each other and not really knowing what to say. Santana's heart was loud in her chest, she could feel her cheeks heating up and she was pretty sure she wasn't breathing anymore. _Great. She'd forgotten about the effect Brittany had on her. _

"Hey." Was all she could say in a quiet voice which didn't really sound like her own. "Can we… talk?" Blue eyes bored into hers and she felt like Brittany was looking right into her, reading all of her thoughts and exploring all of her feelings.

"I thought you said there was nothing to talk about." Brittany's voice was quiet too, laced with something a little like confusion, and something else a lot like hurt.

"_Please, _Britt." The blonde paused for a moment and studied Santana, presumably weighing things up in her mind, before taking a small step to the side and allowing her to pass. Unable to find the right words yet, never mind the ability to form them, Santana took a look around Brittany's room. It was so different to when Tina had been here; there were now loads of photos covering the baby blue walls, showing Brittany smiling and laughing with people Santana guessed were her friends and family, pretty, white fairy lights were hung up above her large double bed and although there were still a few moving boxes scattered on the floor, the room was really homey. It felt cosy and cute and so _Brittany._ And Santana liked it.

She just watched as Brittany sat down on her double bed, not quite sure if she should sit or stand herself. She decided on _stand_, mostly because her legs weren't really working yet, and waited awkwardly for a few moments. Santana hadn't really thought this far ahead. Her plan had got as far as driving to their apartment, knocking on the door and finding Brittany, but now that she was actually here and she was looking at her, she had no idea what to say or do. She'd never really done this kind of thing before. Whatever this _thing _was.

"Britt, I'm sorry." The words tumbled out before she'd even thought them but Santana figured it was a good enough start. Brittany just held her gaze expectantly, her arms crossed and her face still confused. She guessed she was going to have to do better than that. "I just… For Monday night. And for bumping into you at NYADA and- well, not for physically _bumping into you_. I mean, for being a bitch _after _bumping into you and- shit. I'm so bad at this." Santana couldn't help but notice the tiny curve which appeared for just a second at the corner of the blonde's mouth, and felt herself relax just a little, but her heart was still beating fast.

"And what exactly would _this _be, Santana?" Brittany asked, attempting to sound stern and trying her best to hide her smirk with an adorable little frown.

"I don't know, apologising? Look, I've never exactly been _big_ on apologies, Britt, and I don't even know where to begin." Legs regaining their function, she took a small step towards the bed, lifting her eyes to where her friend was sat. "Monday night. That was… I was awful. I'm sorry. I just got so mad and-"

"Why?" Brittany questioned, holding her gaze firm on the Latina.

"Why what?" Santana took another step towards her. She couldn't quite gage the expression on her face and she needed to get closer, to _be_ closer.

"Why were you mad?" Santana stopped and paused. _Because she was raging with jealousy? Because she couldn't stand seeing a guy flirting with Brittany and she couldn't watch her dance with someone the way she had danced with her?_

"I don't know, Britt." The blonde looked away. _Just say it, Lopez. _"I just felt so… I guess I was jealous." _There, it was out. Shit, shit, shit. _The word just sort of hung in the air and Brittany looked up quickly.

"You were?" There was that tiny hint of a smile again, one that Brittany didn't think Santana would notice, but she did. She could see it twitching at her lips and she could just about hear it in her voice. Santana smiled just a little bit too, she couldn't help it.

"Yeah." Santana stepped forwards again, and, seeing Brittany unfold her arms and her expression soften just a little, she decided it would be okay to sit down. "_Insanely_ jealous, Britt." She watched as this time Brittany made no attempt to hide that smile and _oh my god she'd missed it._ She wanted to move closer and make it even bigger, but she was still so… _confused_. "But I have no idea what that means, Brittany. I don't… I'm not used to this_._" She gestured with her hands to try and express whatever _this _was.

"_Okay…"_ Brittany said slowly, confusion still lacing her voice.

"And that's why I got so crazy the other night. And that's why I freaked out so much when I saw you at NYADA… because I have no idea what any of this means, Brittany, or if it means anything at all or if I-"

"Santana." Brittany said softly and calmly, and it was enough to stop her. "It's okay, slow down." The blonde shuffled closer to her friend and heard Santana's sharp intake of breath as she placed a hand slowly over the Latina's. Santana glanced down to where a pale hand was gently covering her own, and then back up to look at Brittany, whose face was so soft and kind and full of concern that she thought she felt her heart flutter just a little.

"It's just…" Santana took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "It's confusing, Britt." She sighed. She didn't really know how else to put it because _fuck it really was confusing._

Brittany took her hand away from Santana's and returned it to her lap. She looked down and bit her bottom lip, thinking hard. "I think I get that, Santana. I mean, I know I do. But you have to understand how confusing this has been for _me _too." She twisted towards her friend again, lifting a leg up onto the bed and folding it underneath her so she could face her properly. "It's like… I missed you so much, Santana. I mean, you were my best friend. I know it was like a gazillion years ago, and we were so little but… I was so sad when I had to leave and move so far away." Santana's heart melted at the adorable little pout that was now on Brittany's mouth and she shifted closer to her again. "But then suddenly I get to see you again and I was so excited and so happy. And it's like exactly the same but then it's also different. Like a _really good _different, I think, or at least it was… And all these kind of… feelings come back and then last weekend, in the bathroom, and then you pushed me away and you left and-"

"Britt-" Santana reached her hand out to take the blonde's. She needed her to slow down, she wanted to soothe her and to tell it was okay.

"No, Santana." Brittany let the darker girl rest her hand softly on hers but she didn't take it yet. "I mean, not _no. _I just…"

"Brittany, it's _okay._" Santana squeezed her hand gently and forced blue eyes to look up at her own once again. She didn't exactly know _what _was okay, but she knew whatever it was would be, and she hated seeing Brittany so sad.

"It's not." Santana's brow furrowed in confusion. "It hurt, Santana. It… Why did you say it was nothing? How could you say we had to forget about it? And then on Monday night. You were so… You didn't have the right to do that after what you said." Santana just sat there as she took in Brittany's words, hearing her small voice explain the hurt she had caused her. She never wanted to be the one to hurt Brittany. She wanted to _protect_ Brittany, to comfort her and to hold her in her arms and never let go.

"I know." Santana said in a quiet voice. "And I'm sorry, Britt. I'm so sorry. I just… I'm so confused." She said again, a little frustration now appearing in her tone. "And _angry, _and stubborn and I'm a bitch. And you're everything I'm not. You're the last person in the world I would ever want to upset, and that's all I would do, like I have done already. I'm so fucking messed up… my family and- I wouldn't know how not to hurt you, Brittany." At this, the two girls fell into silence again. Santana was sure she'd never poured her heart out like this to anyone, ever. She didn't know if what she'd said was enough, _fuck _she wasn't even sure it had made any sense, but she felt a gentle sigh of relief escape her lips anyway. Brittany looked back at her with such sincerity and kindness, that the Latina could see she understood, at least a little.

"You're not a bitch, Santana." She opened her mouth to protest but Brittany shook her head and she let it close. "You're beautiful." Santana blushed and looked down at their hands, which were intertwined and resting on the covers in the space between them. She looked back up to blue.

"I'm scared, Brittany." The blonde gave her that look again, the one filled with tenderness and affection, the one that made Santana's stomach flip, and Brittany shifted closer, closing the gap between them.

"I know." Brittany leaned forward and Santana caught her breath. The blonde pressed a soft kiss to her lips and _wow._ It was gentle and it was slow and she felt it in every inch of her. Santana sighed and smiled into Brittany's lips as a pale hand came up to softly cup her cheek. This may be complicated and it may be scary, and Santana was sure as hell still confused, but this moment, this kiss, this girl. It was perfect.

Santana's hand moved to stroke in soft, blonde hair and Brittany's lips parted slightly to take Santana's bottom one in her own. It wasn't heated; it wasn't rushed and desperate and filled with lust like the last kissed they'd shared. It was tender and amazing, and Santana wondered how she got so lucky when they broke apart and Brittany's eyes looked lovingly into her own. _Wow_ she was so beautiful.

"Hey." The blonde whispered with a smile. _Wow again._

"Hi." The Latina smiled shyly and placed another soft, short kiss onto Brittany's lips. She thought it should feel weird or wrong, but _oh my god, _kissing Brittany sober was better than kissing Brittany drunk, like _so_ much better. She can't actually remember a time when a kiss had felt so _right_, or when she'd felt so fucking happy and-

The girls shot apart as a knock sounded against the door. _Shit. Quinn._

"Guys?" Quinn's voice entered the room as she stuck her head in through the door. The two girls froze as their friend stepped into the bedroom. "I just came to see if everything was okay and bring you some tea." Quinn smiled warmly as she saw her friends sat next to each other on the bed and they both relaxed a little, hearing the light tone to Quinn's voice and realising they hadn't been caught doing anything that friends wouldn't normally be doing.

"Y-yeah." Santana replied, her voice a little shaky. "All good. Thanks." Quinn placed the mugs of tea on Brittany's bedside table before heading back towards the door.

"Can Santana stay for dinner?" Santana, taken a little by surprise, turned to face Brittany who was smiling back at her probably the happiest, most adorable smile ever, and she couldn't help but melt. "I mean, if she wants to." She added hastily. Santana didn't say anything, but just beamed back at her friend because _holy shit, Brittany was just so freaking cute._

"Of course." Quinn left the room again, closing the door behind her and smiling to herself that all was clearly resolved between her friends.

Brittany gently tucked a strand of dark hair behind Santana's ear, before leaning in and connecting their lips in another short kiss.

"Hey." She said again softly, and Santana said _hi _and smiledand lost herself in those blue eyes again. After a moment, she glanced towards the door where her other friend had just disappeared behind and then down at her lap, shifting nervously on the bed.

"Britt, I…" Brittany tugged gently on her hand and lifted the Latina's gaze back to meet her own and offered her a warm, easing smile. "I don't… I'm not- I'm not ready for people to _know._" She admitted in a small voice, looking down at her lap once more. Brittany slipped her hands around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's okay, Santana, I understand. You don't have to do anything you don't want to." Santana sighed contentedly into her friend's neck and smiled at just how wonderful she was.

"Thank you, Britt-Britt." And then they slowly broke apart, and Brittany looked at her with a smile Santana had a feeling she reserved only for her. And then Santana kissed her again, because _she was just so freaking perfect right now, _and then Brittany grinned some more and said,

"Let's eat, I'm frickin' starving."

**…**


	9. Tease

Hey guys. Sorry about the little wait, uni's a bit crazy. But I hope you love this chapter. And _I'm _loving all your reviews so keep the comments coming! x

Chapter 9:

Santana woke the next morning with a warm sort of fuzzy feeling in her tummy. She let out a contended sigh and snuggled herself into her duvet. She couldn't help the goofy grin that stretched sleepily across her face as the memory of the previous day washed over her, sending a tingle down her body under the covers. She had kissed Brittany. Like _really _kissed her. And Brittany had stroked her cheek and looked at her like no one had looked at her before, and she'd held her in her arms and told her it was going to be okay. And Santana just lay there for a moment, eyes shut tight, cuddled in her duvet and hugging the memory in, letting it warm her for as long as she possibly could, because Santana _never _wanted to let this feeling go. And she thought to herself that maybe it really _was _going to be okay.

After the most adorable invitation to stay for dinner, like, _ever, _Brittany had leapt off the bed and skipped all the way down the corridor and into the kitchen, all the while holding Santana's hand in her own. Santana had loved the way her hand felt the warmth of the blonde's, and the way their fingers intertwined so perfectly, and she couldn't help but melt at the way Brittany had kept glancing back over her shoulder with a cute little smile, as if to make sure the Latina was still following.

Santana had sat through dinner almost in a trance, caught up in her own little haze of happiness. Or a _Brittany haze _maybe. She was sure that for the entire meal her dopey smile never left her lips and that her eyes not once lifted their gaze from Brittany. She couldn't help it, she was just _staring _at her, watching her in awe as she smiled and giggled her way through conversations about college, and dancing, and told silly stories about her enormous cat. She had felt her heart flutter every time blue eyes had flicked back to meet her own. She had melted at the way the blonde's lips had curved a little further upwards each time Santana had spoken, and had felt her stomach flip at the hint of pink that would appear on Brittany's cheeks when Santana smiled right back at her.

She thought about the adorable little pout that Brittany made when Santana had told her and Quinn she should probably get going.

"Don't want Berry and Lady Hummel freaking and sending out a search party. They're probably panicking right now and imagining me brutally attacked or kidnapped or something." Brittany had giggled again – _she was going to need to stop doing that, it was too freaking adorable - _and Santana's heart had stopped when the blonde pulled her into another tight squeeze and whispered _goodnight, Santana _into her ear. Okay, she may have to rethink this whole_ not being a hug person_ thing, 'cause she was definitely starting to come around. She'd almost forgotten Quinn was even there when the other blonde also gave her a quick hug goodbye. _Okay, so maybe it was just hugs from Brittany. _

Santana hadn't stopped smiling all the way down in the elevator, or as she'd made her way out towards her beat up old car, and she'd only grinned wider when her phone had buzzed in her pocket and she'd glanced down to read:

_Miss you already – Britt_

And, _see?_ So. Freaking. Cute.

As soon as she'd opened the door to her own apartment, Kurt and Rachel had bombarded her with _where the hell have you been? _And _we were so worried! _And Rachel had said that she actually _did _think she'd been kidnapped. But Santana had told them with a wave of her hand to _chill the hell out_ and kept smiling all the way to her room, where she'd flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes to dreams of blue eyes, and soft lips, and sweet smiles and _Brittany._

Santana peeled back the duvet just enough for her to look over at the clock beside her and see that it was half ten, and so probably time to remove herself from her cocoon of warmth and happy thoughts. Her blissful mood followed her to the bathroom, where she showered and brushed her teeth, and stayed with her back to her bedroom and as she got changed. Even the realisation that she'd made plans to go into school and work on her routine didn't bring her down from her high. Santana had her dance performance next week and she had promised herself she would work on it this weekend. She way preferred to practice on Saturdays, when it was quiet and she could have a studio to herself to really get into it. Although she would so prefer just to stay cuddled in bed all day, soaking up this feeling and holding onto it forever, she felt like her good mood would probably be productive for practicing and she had to nail this performance. She wasn't worried, she's pretty freaking awesome if she does say so herself, but still, a _little _practice was probably needed. Santana pulled on her grey sweatpants and a tight, pink tank top, before strolling into the living room, humming and smiling contently.

"Someone's still happy I see" Rachel chirped, looking up and eyeing the Latina from her place on the sofa. "Anything you'd care to share?"

"Nothing I'd share with _you_, Berry." Santana quipped, sticking her tongue out playfully. Not even Rachel was going to ruin her mood today. She shot a mock glare in Santana's direction, before following her into the kitchen area.

"Can I assume from that grin you're sporting and the way you're practically _skippinig _around the kitchen that things are all smoothed over between you and Quinn?" _Quinn?_

"Huh?" Santana looked up from the bowl of cereal she was now pouring milk into. _Right, Quinn. _"Oh, uh yeah. Sure." It was definitely easier to let Berry assume it was _that_ blonde that had her spirits so high. She returned the milk to the fridge and sat down on her usual stool at the island. "You know me and Q. Always trying to see who can out bitch the other. It was no big deal, all good now." Rachel smiled at her words and sat down opposite her.

"I'm thrilled to hear it!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Because I've made reservations at Azzizi's for 8. I thought it would be lovely for all of us to go out to dinner together, get to know Brittany a bit more. What do you think?" Santana stopped chewing mid-mouthful at the sound of the blonde's name. She'd been so wrapped up in her little Brittany bubble all morning (mmm… a _Brittany bubble_, that sounded pretty nice) that Santana had sort of forgotten that she existed in the real world too, outside her sweet dreams and the safety of her duvet cocoon. Her heart began to race a little bit. "Santana?" _Oh, right. Rachel was talking._

"Uh, sure, Berry. Sounds great. I'm going into school this afternoon, but 8 is cool." The thought of seeing Brittany _did _sound great – she'd been longing to see her ever since she left their apartment last night. She'd been longing to look into those blue eyes again and see her smile and feel her lips against her own, but _holy shit _she was suddenly so nervous_. _She'd practically emptied her heart out to her the previous night and admitted things she hadn't really even admitted to herself, but it had felt kind of okay in the safety and cosiness of Brittany's room. The soft kisses Brittany had pressed against her lips had felt _right_, and wonderful, and perfect when it had been just them, just the two of them getting lost in the moment with each other. But this was going to be different. They would be at dinner, in a restaurant and with their friends. How was she meant to look into those eyes and not reach over and take Brittany's hand? How in the hell was she going to see that gorgeous smile and hear that giggle and not lean over and kiss the lips that produced it? And how the _fuck _was she going to control the heat between her legs she knew she would feel if Brittany pulls her in tight against her for a hug hello. _Shit. Good luck, Lopez._

**…**

Later that afternoon, Santana was feeling pretty pleased with herself. She'd put in a good couple of hours practicing and her routine was pretty much down apart from a few tricky steps at the end which she was now trying to get right. She began to go over each move slowly, studying herself in the mirror which spanned the width of the far wall in front of her. She'd turned off the music to help her focus, and was now twisting and turning to the silent beat in her head, studying her reflection in the mirror and cursing when she made a wrong step and felt her hamstring twinge. _Fucking hell. _Santana cursed something in Spanish under her breath and leant over, slowly reaching her arms down until her fingers touched her toes. She stayed like this for a couple of minutes, bent over, ass up, stretching out the pain in her muscle until-

"Wow. Great view." Santana's heart stopped, her breath caught in her throat and she froze, her eyes darting up to see Brittany's reflection in the mirror, leaning against the studio door, arms folded and a smirk pulling at her lips. "Hey." The blonde said through her grin, her eyes lifting up from their place on her ass, and watching Santana blush.

"Hi." Santana managed to reply quietly with a shy smile of her own and straightened herself up. She didn't turn around, she just stayed there still and watched in the mirror as Brittany began to make her way slowly towards her. Her heart was now racing and she tried to soothe it with long, deep breaths. Only she couldn't breathe, or think, or speak as blue eyes stayed fixed to her own and Brittany continued to close the distance between them. Santana stood still as her friend came right up behind her, their eyes still locked in the reflection.

"I missed you." The blonde leant forward and whispered in her ear. Santana shivered as she felt Brittany's breath against her neck and she took a sharp intake of air as she watched hands come up to sit on her waist. She wanted to tell her she'd missed her too and _fucking hell she hadn't actually realised quite how much until right this second, _but she couldn't seem to speak. All she could do was stare at where Brittany's hands were gently holding onto her in the reflection of the mirror, and watch the pink slowly appear at her own cheeks. "You're a really good dancer, Santana." Her voice was low and raspy and it reminded Santana of how it had sounded that time in the bathroom and _fuck, she could feel the heat spreading through her body and down between her legs. _Brittany tightened her hold on the Latina's waist a little and leant forward again. "If you just loosened your hips a little…" Santana felt her lips ghost her neck and _holy shit this was hot. _"I think you'd be able to get that last step. You don't want to be too… tight." Santana's breath hitched and her stomach twinged as she felt Brittany's hands slowly slide forward and rest on her stomach. She could feel her fingers brush lightly over her bare skin where her top had ridden up from dancing. _Holy shit-_

"Fuck, Britt-" It came out kind of like a gasp and she heard the girl behind her inhale sharply.

"I _really _missed you." Brittany whispered, this time pressing her lips soft to Santana's neck, just below the line of her jaw. The Latina managed a _me too_ but it sounded like more of a moan than actual words. She tilted her head back to rest on Brittany's shoulder, allowing the blonde to drag her lips down the length of her throat and Santana shivered as her fingers began tracing patterns on her skin, just above the waistline of her sweats. She could hear Brittany breathing heavily and feel her own heart pounding in her chest as the blonde's fingers inched their way further down and begin to trace along the hem of her sweatpants. _Fuck, _Santana wanted those fingers to go further, to continue their path down towards the source of her heat and where she was now throbbing but something stopped her. A nagging somewhere in her hazy mind told her this probably wasn't the right place or time for this, and she so wanted it to be right_._ Besides, it may be a weekend and so probably no one else here, but they were still at NYADA, in a dance studio, with no lock on the door.

With all her will power, Santana twisted in Brittany's grasp and turned to face her. She felt herself smile and then saw Brittany smile too and she couldn't help but take a moment to think how fucking beautiful she looked. "Hi." Santana said and Brittany whispered _hey_, her smile growing wider and her eyes dropping down to Santana's lips. The Latina took a deep intake of air before leaning forward and claiming the blonde's lips with her own and _fuck it, why would anyone else be here on a Saturday?_

"I missed… kissing... you." Santana gasped between kisses and felt Brittany smile against her lips, before taking her bottom one in her own and sucking. _Oh my god, _she'd forgotten how amazing this felt. Brittany brushed her tongue across Santana's lip before pushing it in and finding her own. _Fuck she tasted so good. _How was it possible that each kiss with Brittany seemed to taste better and better and feel more and more amazing? Santana moaned into her mouth and pressed a little harder against her, her arms finding their way around Brittany's neck and Brittany's claiming her waist. The blonde guided Santana back towards the mirrored wall and pushed her hard against it, her hands sliding round to grab at her sides.

"Fuck Santan-" Brittany gasped as she broke for air, before turning her attention once again to Santana's neck. She kissed and she sucked and she nipped at the skin there as Santana groaned with pleasure. Wanting to feel the softness of her lips again and the sensation of her tongue against her own, Santana tightened her grip on Brittany's neck and pulled her in once again. Their lips immediately parted this time and their tongues brushed against each other's and _Jesus Christ if Santana didn't slow this down soon she was going to jump the girl right here in the dance studio. _She moved her hands to rest gently on Brittany's cheeks, pulling her tongue from the blonde's mouth and pressing her lips softly against hers in a sweeter and tenderer kiss. Eventually the two broke apart and their eyes found each other's again.

"Wow." Brittany whispered, and Santana couldn't help but grin. "That was… Santana I missed you." Brittany took both her friend's hands in her own and held them in between their bodies.

"Yeah?" The brunette asked, her smile growing wider and squeezing the hands holding hers.

"Totally." Brittany leaned forward and pecked another soft kiss to her lips. "So, how come you're here dancing on a Saturday?" Brittany asked, after leading Santana over to the seats behind them.

"I could ask you the same question." Santana replied with a playful smile, her breathing slowing and her heart rate beginning to return to normal. She chuckled at Brittany's pout when she'd said she'd asked her first, and told her she was liked to practice when it was quiet. Brittany admitted that was why she was here too before asking Santana what she was practicing for.

"I've got a dance performance coming up next week," Santana explained. "And it's pretty important for my second year grade so I kinda need to nail it." Brittany nudged Santana's shoulder with her own and smiled at her friend.

"But you were totally nailing it already." She kissed the hand she still held in her own. _How was it possible to go from so sexy to so fucking adorable in like two seconds?_ "I mean it, Santana. You've got natural rhythm and your timing was all on point." She smiled as Santana blushed a little. "You're really good." The brunette rolled her eyes before dropping them to her lap.

"Not as good as you, Britt. You're, like, a freaking dancing _machine_." This time it was Brittany's turn to blush. "I've seen you dancing. It was incredible."

"I don't think we can really call what we were doing at Lola's_ dancing_, Santana." Brittany replied with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure practically dry humping someone in the middle of a dance floor can't be classed as actual dancing. Don't think it would go down too well with my professors anyway." She winked and Santana nudged her shoulder playfully.

"I didn't mean _then_, Britt." She giggled. "I meant when-" _Shit. _Santana felt her cheeks getting hot and mentally face palmed when she realised the awkward moment she'd just brought up: the very first time she'd seen the blonde again, the time she'd stood and watched, entranced by the way she moved. And then those blue eyes had shot up to meet her own and caught her staring, _leering_.

"_Oh_." Brittany said in a quiet voice, the tiniest of smiles tugging at her lips. "You mean when you saw me dancing _here_?" Santana nodded shyly, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "When you couldn't take your eyes of me you mean?" Santana's breath caught somewhere at the back of her throat and her eyes shot up to look at Brittany, who was sucking in her lips, trying – and _failing _she might add – to fight back a smirk. _Mental face palm number two._

"I- Uh…" Brittany chuckled at her nervous spluttering and once again brought Santana's hand up to her lips and pressed a small kiss onto her palm.

"You're cute." Brittany said with a giggle and Santana rolled her eyes.

"I am _so_ not cute, Britt-Britt. Awesome, yes. Incredible sexy, yes." She joked. "But cute? No." She sent a mock glare in the direction of her friend.

"Oh you totally are, Santana. Like super-duper cute." Brittany leaned in close until her lips were only inches away from the Latina's. "But I agree, also very sexy." Santana smiled as Brittany's lips pressed once again against her own and _she could so get used to this._ "Besides," the blonde continued, pulling her head back but holding her gaze on Santana. "I kinda couldn't take my eyes off you either."

"Really?" Santana asked in a small voice, her heart sort of fluttering in her chest.

"Yeah." They smiled wide at each other and Brittany squeezed their joined hands. "Well. Firstly, I knew I recognised you 'cause even though you're a lot more… _grown up _now," She smirked as her eyes raked Santana's body up and down and saw her cheeks flush again. "That gorgeous smile of yours was just the same, and your cute little dimples. And there was just something… I don't know why, I just couldn't really look away. You know what I mean?" Santana did, and she nodded with a small smile. "Or maybe it was that super adorable way you dropped your phone and went all red and-"

"Oh shut up, Britt!" Santana giggled and shoved Brittany's shoulder playfully. "I nearly killed Berry after that for texting me and making me jump. Anyway, you so weren't being fair. People should be warned about your dancing powers. They're like… I don't know, I mean… when you dance it's like so freaking… sexy." Santana bit her lip and looked shyly up at the blonde who beamed back at her.

"Yeah?" Santana traced her finger over Brittany's hand, drawing soft circles on her skin and nodded her head up and down.

"Totally." Brittany smiled some more and looked down at the patterns being mapped out across her hand.

"Well, in that case." The blonde looked up, another smirk making its way across her lips. "People should most definitely be warned about your _body shot_ powers. Very dangerous." Santana giggled and felt a twinge somewhere in her lower abdomen when she thought back to the delicious sensation of her tongue against Brittany's bare stomach.

"Britt, we already discussed this. _So_ not my fault. Definitely those abs." Santana's gaze flicked to her stomach and back up to her lips. Brittany smiled mischievously and Santana's own stomach flipped. She could feel herself getting hot again just thinking about those abs. Those toned abs that she'd tasted with her tongue and that had quivered under her touch. She wanted her tongue there again so badly. _Fuck. _She stood up suddenly.

"I should, uh- Get going Britt-Britt." She really didn't want to, but Santana knew that if she kept picturing running her tongue over Brittany's stomach she'd probably lose the internal battle she was having with herself and attack the girl. Besides, they were going out for dinner later and she needed to go home and get ready and actually make herself look nice. And if that was ever going to happen, she seriously needed to take a shower because she was kind of sweaty from all the dancing. _Amongst other things._

"You don't wanna stay and watch me dance?" Her voice was so quiet and cute and full of hopefulness.

"We both know that would be a dangerous idea, Britt." She shot a wink at the blonde and watched her smirk again.

"Okay. You're probably right." Santana couldn't help but giggle at the little pout that Brittany pushed out once again with her lips. _So freaking adorable._

"I'm seeing you in like a few hours, silly. Dinner remember?" The blonde's face immediately softened and her eyes widened in excitement. Jumping up from her seat, she embraced Santana in another Brittany hug and squeezed her tight. She pulled away, only to look into dark eyes and lean in to take Santana's lips in her own once more.

"There won't be any dancing at dinner so I think we'll be safe." Santana said with a smirk when the two broke apart.

"I'm thinking there probably won't be any opportunity for body shots either so we should be able to control ourselves." The blonde responded quickly, matching Santana's grin. "I'll try and wear something that'll cover up my abs too. You know, just so you don't lunge at me across the table or something. Could be a little awkward." _Tease. _Santana giggled before saying she'd see Brittany tonight. With a smile and a wave, Santana left the studio and headed back to the car park, her smirk not once leaving her lips.

**…**

It was now just after 8 and Kurt, Rachel and Santana were sitting in their booth at Azzizi's, their favourite Italian restaurant just down the street from Lola's. Santana was touching up her lip gloss in the compact mirror she'd brought with her in her purse. She looked _good._ Santana may be a lot of things – the words _straight up_ _bitch_ mostly coming to mind – but she sure as hell knew how to work what the good lord gave her, and tonight she was definitely going to be working it for Brittany. Her anxiety from this morning about the dinner had pretty much gone and had been replaced with a sort of eager excitement. After seeing Brittany earlier, and _kissing _Brittany earlier, and after teasing each other about trying to control themselves tonight, she was definitely looking forward to driving her a little crazy. She wanted to toy with her and to feel that rush of wanting to touch her but knowing she couldn't. And she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

With all that in mind, Santana had decided to leave her hair wavy tonight, and right now it was definitely working for her. It had the whole sexy, tousled thing kind of going on, and her dark, smoky eyes really added to the sultriness. She'd gone for her favourite black heels and a tight blue dress that really highlighted her ass. It was sexy, but still casual, and the low neckline hinted at cleavage without being _too_ slutty for dinner.

"Your make-up looks _fine, _Santana. That's about the hundredth time you've checked it since you've been here. Are you looking to impress somebody?" Santana lifted her gaze from her mirror to see Kurt eyeing her suspiciously from across the table.

"Funnily enough I didn't ask for your opinion, Hummel, although I'm sure you love using a bit of gloss on those lady lips of yours every now and again." She joked. "And I'm not trying to impress _anyone. _I just like to look good. Which I do, all the time." With that she snapped her compact closed and chucked it in her purse. She then turned to Rachel who was sitting to her left. "It's like 10 past. Where the hell are Fabgay and-"

"Brittany!" Rachel squealed before Santana could say the name herself. "Quinn! You guys are here! Wow, you look great." Santana swallowed hard. _Here goes._ When she looked up she had to make a conscious effort not to let her jaw drop all the way to the floor because _holy fucking shit. _

Santana didn't even look at Quinn as the pair made their way over to the table because _Brittany. _She was wearing black heels, the tightest black jeans Santana had ever seen and her _top. _She was pretty sure you couldn't even call it a top because of how little material there was. It was white and sort of lacy and it was cropped so short that pretty much her entire midriff was on show. _Oh she was good. She was very good. _Santana managed to tear her probably bulging eyes away from Brittany's _very_ exposed abs and glanced up to see the blonde looking at her with a wicked smile Santana knew all too well by now. She thought back to earlier in the studio and how Brittany had teased her. _I'll try and wear something that'll cover up my abs. You know, just so you don't lunge at me across the table or something._ And now here she was, standing in front of her in a top that couldn't cover her abs less if it tried.

_Well played, Britt. Well played._

Rachel leapt up from her seat beside her and hugged the two friends. Kurt greeted them cheerily as well, before standing to allow them to take a seat on his side of the table, so that Brittany ended up opposite Santana_._

"Hey Q." Santana greeted one blonde before turning to the other. "Britt." She nodded, trying to regain composure and hide the tugging at the corner of her mouth. "What the hell took you guys so long?"

"Sorry, we would have been on time, but Brittany over here took forever deciding what to wear!" Quinn playfully nudged Brittany's shoulder, who proceeded to turn a light shade of pink.

"Is that so?" Santana raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and turned to face said blonde, who blushed even more. "You'd have thought that with such little material, that outfit wouldn't have taken long to put on at all?" Giggles erupted from around the table and Brittany was now bright red. Santana was enjoying every second of this.

"Oh don't listen to her, Brittany. You look very hot." Rachel reassured the blonde before rolling her eyes at Santana beside her.

"I never said she didn't look hot, Berry." Santana responded, glancing at Brittany who couldn't hide the tiny smile now appearing at her lips. Her heart fluttered just a little and she could feel the grin pulling at her own mouth.

"Oh. My. Goodness." Kurt lifted his hands up dramatically and an expression of mock horror appeared on his face. "Are my ears deceiving me or did _Santana Maria Lopez_ just give someone a compliment?" The friends laughed again. "I don't think, in allthe many years that I have known and, _well, mostly _loved her, that I have _once _heard Santana give a genuine compliment! Not including those aimed herself of course." He added, grinning devilishly at his Latina friend. "Brittany, you should feel honoured."

"Ha ha very funny." Santana deadpanned, trying to ignore the smug little smile now plastered on Brittany's face. "Just because Aunty Tana likes to keep it real and say it how it is, doesn't mean I _never _give compliments. I totally give compliments." She rolled her eyes and grabbed a menu from in front of her.

"She _totally_ does." Santana's eyes shot up from her menu to see Brittany, wide eyed and clearly a little surprised by what had just slipped out of her mouth.

"She does?" Quinn asked, her brow raised in confusion, or suspicion, or a mixture of the two. _Shit, shit, shit._

"Um… I mean, sure." Brittany stammered, her eyes shifting between Santana and Quinn. "Well, she, uh… saw me at NYADA the other day practicing. And she said I was a good dancer. So yeah, I guess that was a compliment." Brittany waved her hand in the air as if to say _whatever_, and returned to her menu. _Phew, and breathe._ _Good save._ Quinn's face softened and she squeezed Brittany's arm.

"Well, duh, you're an amazing dancer. Everyone knows that. That hardly counts." The others chuckled and Santana joined in, shooting a playful glare in Brittany's direction when everyone had disappeared behind their menus. A few minutes later, and after some light conversation about what they should order, the waiter appeared. He left again once everyone had ordered their meals as well as a couple of bottles of wine for the table, and the group settled back into chatting and laughing.

Having recovered from the close call, Santana decided it was time to start up the teasing again. Brittany's _interesting _choice of top meant that the blonde was now winning and Santana needed to regain the upper ground. She thought back to Lola's and remembered their exchange of flirty texts and smiled to herself. She took her phone from her purse and typed out a message under the table so as not to be seen. Santana held her breath as she saw Brittany's phone vibrate and mentally high fived herself as she watched her cheeks flush pink again.

_Pretty sure that's not the kind of shirt we agreed on Britt. Definitely not complaining tho ;). – Santana_

Brittany lifted her eyes to lock onto Santana's for just a second before smirking and returning her gaze to her lap. The Latina noticed the slightly darker shade of blue her eyes had now turned and she began to feel a little warmer, knowing exactly what that meant. She was right, it _was _a rush flirting like this when her friends were all there and she knew they really shouldn't be. Her own phone then buzzed in her lap and she looked around to check the others were still deep in conversation before glancing down to read her message.

_I was gonna tell u about the change in plan, but that look on your face was so worth it. Just no lunging across the table remember? –Britt_

_Ps. Your boobs look amazing in that dress – Britt_

Ha. Yes. Santana looked up to meet Brittany's eyes because she loved it when she said stuff like that, only to smirk when she found them fixed on her chest. _Things were going pretty well._

**…**

Brittany had been stroking Santana's leg under the table for the past five minutes now. At first, she'd thought it was just Rachel nudging her by accident and shot her a glare. But when it had happened again, this time brushing much higher up her leg and causing Santana to hitch her breath, she was almost certain it was Brittany. And when she looked up to see dark blue eyes boring into her she was _sure _it was. _Holy shit. _When Brittany did it again, without lifting her gaze from Santana, the Latina felt the beginnings of arousal tugging at her stomach._ Do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances lunge across the table. Control yourself, Lopez._ She took a sip of wine, and tried to focus her attention onto her spinach ravioli and away from the desire pooling between her legs. A few seconds later, Brittany repeated her action once more, this time reaching Santana's thigh, and the Latina choked on her wine. _Smooth._

Having finished coughing and spluttering, she looked up to see a very amused Brittany and a very puzzled Quinn, Rachel and Kurt.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked her, eyeing her friend strangely.

"I, uh… Yeah. Just need to go to the bathroom." Santana blurted out because _fuck she needed to get out of there. _She got up from the table and, shooting Brittany a look, made her way to the back of the restaurant and into the ladies toilets. Seeing no one was in there, she stood in front of the sinks and stared at her reflection in the mirror. _Deep breaths. All is okay. You just happen to be kind of turned on whilst at supper with four of your closest friends. No big deal. Fuuckk. _

She stayed there still for a moment, eyes closed, and hands gripping onto the counter in front of her. Her eyes shot open when she heard the door open and her stomach did a sort of somersault thing when she saw her.

"Recovered?" Brittany took a slow step into the bathroom, holding Santana's gaze in the mirror. Her eyes twinkled with something like mischief and her lips were curved up into a wicked smile.

"_So_ not fair, Britt-Britt." The Latina smiled back at her in the reflection but stayed still, hands still face down on the counter, her breathing still heavy.

"Who me?" Brittany said in her most innocent tone which lifted her smile wider. She took another step closer and Santana could feel her heart rate quickening again as Brittany lifted her hands and placed them slowly on top of Santana's on the counter. Her body tingled in the most delicious way at the skin on skin contact she'd been craving all evening. "You're the one wearing the super sexy dress, Santana." She watched as Brittany's eyes dropped to glance at her pushed up cleavage in the mirror, and then back up to meet her own. She shivered as she felt the blonde's hands move from their place on hers and trace their way slowly up her bare arms. _Wow. _Santana's body began to heat up and suddenly she noticed the familiarity of their position. Just like earlier in the dance studio, Brittany was pressed right up behind Santana, her lips lightly ghosting her neck and their eyes locked in the mirror._ Oh god, not again. She would definitely not be able to resist a second time._

Tearing her eyes away from the mirror, Santana twisted herself around so she was facing her friend and looked up at her with her sexiest smile. She placed her hands on the blonde's waist and _holy shit she'd forgotten about the top. _Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt Brittany's bare stomach against her touch. Santana heard Brittany inhale sharply as she traced her hands across the contours of her abs and felt them tighten under her. _Wow again._ "Fuck, Britt. You're… seriously going to blame… my dress?" Santana asked between staggered breaths, looking back up briefly to meet dark blue eyes, before dropping her gaze again to Brittany's stomach because _holy shit. _She just had to stare at it, probably grinning like a kid in a candy store but she didn't care because she _really _wanted to try this candy. She wanted to taste it and lick it and-

"Santana?" She shot he eyes back up to see Brittany smirking. "You're clearly super _hungry_," She said, sliding her hands over Santana's which were still resting on her stomach. "But the waiter's probably brought dessert out now, so how about we go back in and eat that instead?" She giggled as the Latina blushed and pulled her hands back down to her sides.

"_Tease_." Santana returned, shooting a mock glare up at the blonde, but when she tried to move, a hand gripped onto her waist and stopped her. Brittany leaned in close and brushed her lips ever so lightly over Santana's ear.

"I'm gonna be teasing you all night, Santana." And with that she grinned, spun on her heels and skipped out of the bathroom, leaving a rather hot and bothered Santana behind her. _Fuck. _

**…**

Brittany hadn't lied when she said she'd be teasing her all night.

As soon as she'd sat back down at the table, the blonde's foot had returned to its place on Santana's leg and began again its slow movements up and down. It had made it almost impossible for her to eat her pudding, what with her hands shaking each time she lifted the spoon to her mouth or reached for her glass of wine. Even the cold ice cream had given no relief to the intense heat rushing over her body, and her dizziness, partly from the wine, mostly due to the growing arousal between her legs, hadn't subsided even by the end of the meal. Even as she'd joked and laughed a long with the others, Brittany's eyes kept falling back to rest on her, flicking down to her chest, and then back up to meet her own. And when the group had decided to move onto Lola's – it was a Saturday after all – the fresh air as they made their way across the street to the bar hadn't helped cool her down one bit. Santana was feeling very hot, and extremely turned on.

This feeling was only intensified as the five of them joined the crowd of hot and sweaty bodies filling up the bar. Santana therefore jumped at Kurt's suggestion to go get some drinks. Pushing her way past various groups of people chatting and laughing, she heaved herself onto a stool and took a sigh of relief.

"Puckerman! Drink. Now." Puck turned around from behind the bar and grinned.

"Alright, Lezpez?" He began pouring vodka into a glass but before he could add any soda, Santana grabbed it and knocked it back in one, grimacing as it burned her throat. Puck eyed her questioningly. "You're looking a little flustered, everything good?" She didn't answer, but gestured with her hand for another. _Fuck, she needed that. _Puck poured a second drink and handed it to her, looking over his friend's shoulder and smiling at the others sitting in their usual booth. "Oh, I get it." Puck sniggered. "Blondie's here. _That's_ why you're all hot and bothered, huh?"

"Oh fuck off, Puck." Santana rolled her eyes and knocked back another gulp. _So much better. _"Now be a good boy and go gets me some drinks for the table."

"Sure thing. Shots?"

"No!" Santana almost shouted. "No shots." _Dear god no. Body shots were not going to happen tonight._ Puck chuckled and shook his head.

Returning to the group and setting the tray of drinks down on the table, Santana looked around and swallowed hard when she saw the only free space was next to Brittany. She sat down tentatively. Another wave of heat flooded over her body as she felt her thigh brush against the blonde's. _How was it that just one touch had that much of an effect on her?_

"Hey." Brittany said quietly from beside her and she turned to meet blue eyes once again and whispered _hi._

"Drink?" Santana then asked, smiling and handing Brittany a cup filled with pink liquid.

"Thanks." The Latina caught her breath suddenly when she felt a gentle squeeze on her knee. Her heart began to race when Brittany's hand didn't move. Instead, it travelled further up her thigh and began to play with the hem of her dress. _Holy mother of-_

"_Britt_." Santana tried to whisper as quietly as possible and shot her a sideways look, because this could _not _happen at the table. Sure, the others were deep in conversation and probably a little drunk, and Brittany's had on her leg was completely hidden under the table, but still. Brittany responded with a giggle_, _before moving her hand away from her dress, only to begin drawing soft circles on the inside of her thigh. Santana took a deep breath because _oh my god that felt incredible. _Like, her head felt kind of light and her skin felt hot and her whole body was tingling deliciously and _was it possible to come just from someone touching your thigh?_

Desperately trying to distract herself, Santana turned to the others. "What are you losers chatting about?" Her voice was a little shaky.

"You, actually." Kurt deadpanned. The finger drawing patterns on her thigh froze.

"What? Why?" Her heart began to race for an entirely different reason.

"Nothing to panic about, Satan. We were just discussing your performance that's coming up." _Phew. _"It's on Wednesday yes? How's it coming along?"

"Oh, right." Santana's body tensed again as Brittany's hand returned to grazing across her bare thigh. "Um…" _Oh god. _"Yeah, uh, good. P-Pretty freaking awesome actually." She added with shrug and took another sip of her drink.

"I bet it is, Santana. I wish I could dance like you can. You were always so much better than the rest of us in glee club." Rachel said with a sigh. _Suck up._ "Brittany, have you seen Santana dance?" The Latina felt her cheeks burning. Brittany's fingers travelled a little further over her thigh, not helping matters, and her mind flashed back to earlier in the dance studio. She remembered how Brittany's hands had brushed against her stomach and teased along the waistband of her sweats. Her stomach tightened as the recalled how the blonde had pushed her up against the mirror and attacked her neck and _oh- _Santana's hips jerked suddenly as Brittany pinched the skin of her thigh dangerously close to her underwear.

"No, not yet." Brittany lied, her voice a little lower than usual. "I bet she's really good though." Her fingers began their teasing movements once again and Santana had to bite her lip to fight the smile or moan or _something_ that was trying to get out.

"Brittany you should totally help Santana practice." Quinn chimed in, her voice laced with something a little mischievous, eyeing the Latina who could feel her cheeks still burning. "Brittany's like a dancing _prodigy. _She got scholarship to Julliard, you know." Santana turned to look at Brittany, whose hand had disappeared from her leg and was now looking down shyly.

"Really, Britt? How come you're at NYADA then?" Santana questioned with a furrowed brow, a little surprised by this news, and a lot disappointed by the loss of contact.

"Oh, um…" Brittany said in a small voice. "I didn't really like it Julliard, so I transferred to NYADA. I just-"

"Britts!" The blonde was cut off by a guy's voice, and the group of friends turned to see another blonde standing over the table beaming brightly. _Fucking Sam._

"Hey, Sam." Brittany chirped, her eyes darting from the preppy-looking boy and back to Santana. He asked if she wanted to go get a drink, and Santana felt that heat rush over her again. Not the tingly, delicious feeling that she'd had before, but the kind Santana had felt when she'd seen Sam last. The unpleasant, nagging kind that felt a lot like jealousy. She said _sure_ and Santana's chest tightened.

"Santana, you coming?" _Huh?_ She turned to Brittany who was now standing and smiling down at her, and Santana felt herself relax again. _She _was the one who had kissed Brittany, she was the one who had _been _kissing Brittany, and she was the one who Brittany was now looking at with those darkened blue eyes, not Sam. _Ha_. She got up and took the hand that was held out for her, smiling at the way their fingers intertwined. The two blondes took up stools next to each other at the bar, but Santana remained standing. She placed her hands protectively on Brittany's shoulder – she didn't like the flirty wink Sam had given her when he'd ordered their drinks.

"Looking good tonight, Britts." He drawled, glancing down to her toned stomach when she turned towards the bar. _Oh, hell no._ She giggled a thank you and the two of them started to gossip about some friends of theirs. Every now and again Brittany would gently squeeze one of Santana's hands which were holding their firm grip on her shoulders, but the Latina couldn't help the pangs of jealousy which were pulling at her stomach. She knew she couldn't freak out like last time, that was bad, but then again so much had happened since then. Brittany had kissed her and called her beautiful, and she still didn't know quite what the deal was between her and _Guppy Lips_, but she sure as hell didn't want her leering all over her girl. Not that she was _her _girl, but you know. _Whatever_. She wanted her to herself tonight.

Santana lifted a hand off one of Brittany's shoulders to take a large gulp of her drink, before returning it, this time a little lower, and began trailing her index finger up and down her bare arm. She heard Brittany's breath hitch a little and smirked. Santana moved her other hand and started to trace small, light circles on the back of her neck, like she had been doing on her thigh and she felt Brittany's muscles tense underneath her touch. _See? _Brittany wanted her, she knew it, and the throbbing that had returned to between her legs told Santana that she wanted the blonde just as much. When Sam turned to speak to Puck behind bar, she slowly brushed Brittany's hair away from her neck and leaned in close enough to watch her shiver as her breath hit her exposed skin.

"Britt." She whispered, she _teased_, and watched her friend swallow hard. "_Britt."_ She said again, before brushing her lips lightly over her earlobe.

"Hmm…?" It sounded somewhere between a hum and a kind of whimper and Santana felt her stomach twinge in response. _Fuck, she wanted to hear that sound again._

"I want you…" The Latina breathed into her ear, barely a whisper and watched as Brittany bit her lip. She glanced up at Sam quickly to check he was still preoccupied before turning her attention back to Brittany. "_So _bad right now." The blonde's eyes closed for a second and Santana could tell she was just as turned on as she was. Santana smirked to herself, and went to lift her hand again to pick up her drink but Brittany's shot up and held it still.

"Sam." She said, her voice low and raspy. "I have to go, um… talk to Santana for a sec." _Talk. Ha. _Brittany stood up suddenly and tightened her grasp on Santana's hand. Sam turned to Brittany before eyeing the Latina disapprovingly.

"Um… Okay, sure. See you in a bit." He looked a little deflated but smiled and waved all the same. He glanced – or _glared -_ briefly again at Santana before the two girls turned away. Brittany practically dragged Santana over towards the other side of the room, leading her through the crowds of bodies, her hand still tightly wrapped around her own. She loved seeing Brittany like this, seeing the way she could drive her crazy with just a little touch or a few whispered words; she loved knowing how much Brittany wanted her, and her body ached at how much she wanted her back. Before they reached the bathroom however, which was where Santana had assumed Brittany was taking her, the blonde turned and pushed open a door marked _Fire Exit._

Once outside in a deserted alleyway behind the club, Brittany turned and pushed Santana against the wall. She looked at her with her piercing blue eyes and smiled a _hey._ Her voice was low and her breathing was heavy, and Santana held her breath as she looked into the stare of those eyes now dark with lust. The blonde's hands gripped her waist and before Santana could speak, before she could tell her what a tease she'd been, or how badly she'd wanted to kiss her all night, Brittany's lips crashed onto her own. Santana moaned into her mouth as she felt the other girl's tongue begin exploring and brushing against her own. Her hands shot up to grip onto Brittany's neck and pull her closer, deepening the kiss because _holy fuck she wanted more. _A wave of pleasure cursed through her body and she groaned as she felt all the built up heat and tension sort of explode within her. The arousal between her legs burned hotter as Brittany pressed her body right up against her and she moaned again as she felt the blonde's breasts pushed up against hers.

"I've been waiting to do this all night." Brittany whispered as her lips left hers and attacked her throat, her voice thick with arousal. Santana felt her head spin as lips sucked and teeth grazed her neck.

"You're so fucking hot, Britt." Santana gasped, pulling her hands from the blonde's neck to slide against the bare skin of her stomach and _fuck-_ Brittany's abs tightened under her touch and _holy shit, she didn't think she'd been this turned on, like, ever. _"You… really shouldn't have… worn this top-" She let out between staggered breaths, before Brittany's lips once again found her own. The blonde moaned as Santana sucked her bottom lip. Her tongue once again began to explore her mouth as Brittany's body crashed harder against hers and she could feel her heart bounding and her arousal throbbing and-

"_Britt-" _She groaned again as the blonde's hands fell to her ass and gripped it tight. The hands proceeded to slide down her bare thighs and her whole body felt hot as her fingers gripped and lifted her up. Santana's legs wrapped tightly around the blonde's waist and her hands shot up to grip the back of her neck once more. They both pulled away a little in need of air, breathing heavily, and Santana bit her lip as she watched Brittany's breasts lifting up and down as her chest heaved. The hands on her thighs made their way back to her ass, pushing up her dress and she moaned again, before pressing her lips to Brittany's neck. She heard the blonde groan her name as she pushed out her tongue dragged it hard across her throat before sucking at the skin just below her jaw.

"_Santana-" _She gasped out again and _fuck, she loved the way she said her name. _Santana felt Brittany's hand on her hot cheek and she lifted her head back enough to look into blue eyes and _wow. _She was sure Brittany had never looked more beautiful than right now, in this exact moment. Her eyes were hooded and dark with lust, her lips pink from kissing and her hair was tousled in such a sexy way that Santana couldn't help but press another kiss to her lips, this time short and soft. She lifted her head back again to see Brittany smiling at her, not the mischievous, seductive way she had before, but an adorable, genuine smile. "Hey." She said again, her voice still low but it was soft and she sounded so sweet that Santana melted. She was still panting and her legs were still wrapped around the blonde's waist and her centre, where it was pressed up against her, was still throbbing, but she felt so content and safe right now.

"Hey yourself." Santana whispered back, peppering small, soft kisses on her friend's lips and over her cheeks. "I've been wanting to kiss you all evening." Brittany beamed back at her. "And _you,_" Santana continued, letting herself be lowered back to her feet and readjusting her dress. "Are _such _a fucking tease." She poked Brittany playfully who giggled.

"You have to admit it was kinda fun though." Brittany replied with a smile, taking the Latina's hands and stroking her thumbs gently over them. "It was such a turn on seeing you all hot and bothered at the table." She whispered, leaning in closer to press another soft kiss to Santana's lips.

"Oh, _so _much fun." The Latina said with a playful eye roll once they'd broken apart.

"And the whole jealous thing looks really hot on you." Brittany replied with a wink and giggled at the eye roll she received in return. "But really, Santana." She continued, her tone a little more serious and her thumbs still stroking soft patterns on Santana's hands. "That was pretty amazing." She smiled and Santana smiled back.

"It really was." Santana replied sincerely. She wasn't sure if any words could really describe what that was, but _amazing_ was definitely a start.

"Santana," The blonde said quietly and _holy shit _she loved the way her name sounded on Brittany's lips. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

_Oh my god._

**…**


	10. Games, Secrets and Pancake Tossing

Here's another one for ya! Enjoy and let me know what you think! x

Chapter 10:

_Can I stay with you tonight?_

The words hung in the air and Santana swallowed hard. Her heart began to race. She wanted that, _so _badly. She wanted to take her home and hold her in her arms and never let her go. She wanted _Brittany. _But _was that okay?_ She couldn't get enough of flirting with Brittany, and kissing her and it didn't really matter so much anymore that she was a girl, but Santana knew she was starting to feel something for the blonde – something more than just the arousal that was still pounding in her body – and that scared her.

A lot.

"Santana?" Her voice was so soft and so caring. Brittany's eyes were searching her own, looking for something, answers maybe. Answers as to why Santana was suddenly breathing so quickly and why her heart felt like it could burst out of her chest.

"Brittany I… I don't know if I can… or if I _should…_" Santana stammered, trailing off with a sigh and looking down at the ground. Brittany lifted one of her hands from Santana's and placed it gently on the Latina's cheek.

"Hey." She said in possibly the gentlest and sweetest way Santana had ever heard. She lifted her gaze from the ground and back up to meet blue eyes looking at her with so much affection. Santana whispered a small _hi _back and felt her breathing start to slow down as Brittany stroked the backs of her fingers across her cheek with the most soothing of touches. "Santana, baby, it's okay. I don't want you to feel… I know you're scared. We don't have to do anything, I just want to be with you. I don't want to leave you yet. Is that okay?" She asked, her other hand lifting Santana's up to her lips and placing a soft kiss to her palm. Santana nodded slowly, because that's exactly what she wanted too. She _didn't _want Brittany to leave her yet, she didn't think she ever wanted Brittany to leave her. Sure, she was scared, and confused as to what that meant, but the way the blonde was now looking at her, the way she was soothing and calming her with her touch, made all of that fear sort of drift away for now.

Brittany captured Santana's lips in another soft kiss and she felt her concerns and her doubts melt away even further. This was _Brittany._ It _was_ okay. "Okay." Santana voiced her thoughts as she broke the kiss and Brittany smiled back at her.

"Okay?" She replied, her voice light and hopeful, her smile spreading wider.

"Okay." She affirmed, squeezing Brittany's hand in her own. Suddenly her brow furrowed in concern. "What about the others though?" Brittany's frown matched her own and her nose scrunched up in confusion, which Santana thought was adorable and couldn't help but peck a quick kiss to it. The blonde giggled. _Again, adorable._

"It'll be fine. We'll just tell them I don't want to walk all the way home so I'm gonna stay at yours." She smiled sweetly before leading Santana back towards the door. The brunette hesitated though. She could already tell her friends were a little suspicious of _something_ – after all, they all knew at least little about Santana's _tendencies – _but the thought of them finding out about this was terrifying for her. It would be… well, let's just not go there. They couldn't know about whatever this was, she wasn't ready for that.

"You'll make it sound casual?" Santana asked in a tiny voice when Brittany turned around to see why she had paused.

"I can _totally _do casual." The blonde grinned and squeezed her hand, pulling her gently through the door and back into the crowded bar. It was a bit of a shock when they were immediately hit with the pounding bass of the music and the heat from the crowd of sweaty bodies on the dance floor. Santana had kind of forgotten there was a whole world going on away from their little secluded alleyway. She'd been lost in her _Brittany bubble _again, and didn't really like the loudness and the craziness she was now returning to, so gripped onto Brittany's hand tighter.

They got back to the booth to find Kurt and Rachel, but no Quinn. She slipped her hand from Brittany's and let it fall to her side as the others noticed them and smiled. Rachel, clearly a little merry, leapt up and flung her arms around her two friends. _Classic drunk Berry._

"Guys! I missed yoouuu!" She cried, beaming at them and wobbling slightly before returning to her seat.

"Wish we could say the same, Berry." Santana replied with a chuckle from where she and Brittany were still stood.

"Where did you two disappear off to?" Kurt piped up, his eyes narrowing on the two girls.

"Oh, uh… Britts and I just went to get some fresh air. It's like a fucking sauna in this joint." She answered, trying her best to sound light and breezy and totally normal.

"Yeah, we just came to tell you guys that we're going to head off. I'm not feeling too well, so." Brittany explained, lifting a hand to her stomach for effect. _Nice touch._ "Where's Quinn? I need to tell her I'm going back with Santana."

"Yeah, we don't have money for a cab and I didn't think Britt should walk home by herself so I said she could crash at ours." Santana added, mentally giving herself a pat on the back because she was _totally_ sounding casual.

"Of course youus can!" Rachel slurred, smiling widely at her friends. "And Quinn tolldd us to tell you… that… Quinn said that, wait, what was again it Kurt?" She giggled and turned to Kurt opposite her. He laughed and shook his head and his drunk friend.

"Quinn said to say that she's gone home. Something about an assignment or something. Anyway she's really sorry." He said off before taking another sip of his extremely girly looking cocktail. _Perfect, no need to deal with Quinn._ She glanced to Brittany who smiled back at her and they said their goodbyes.

**…**

"You have such a cool place!" Brittany squealed, her eyes wide with excitement as she entered the apartment behind Santana.

"Glad you like it." Her friend smiled and chucked her keys on the coffee table. "Want some tea or-"

"Hot chocolate!" Brittany practically yelled, before smiling shyly. "S-sorry, I just really like hot chocolate. With marshmallows. And rainbow sprinkles." Santana couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable the blonde was.

"It's okay, Britt-Britt. I loves me a bit of cocoa too. I'll go heavy on the sprinkles." She added with a wink and made her way over to the kitchen area. Brittany scanned her eyes around the room, taking in the large, open-plan apartment. Santana had to admit, she loved it here. They'd got it cheap, and it hadn't been much when they'd moved in two years ago, but her, Rachel and Kurt had definitely made it their own. The wooden floorboards and high ceilings gave it a cool, kind of rustic feel and various posters were hung on the walls - mostly cool band pictures, a few artsy shots and of course a few _hideous_ Broadway monstrosities that Santana had been outnumbered on. Over by the TV, a couple of comfy looking couches were arranged around a coffee table, and a large pool table sat in the corner, a moving-in present from Santana's Abuela.

"I LOVE pool!" Brittany squealed again as Santana returned with two mugs of cocoa. "We should totally play sometime."

"Okay, Britt, but Imma have to warn you, Aunty Tana's like a freaking genius at pool. I would totally go pro if you didn't have to wear those ugly ass waistcoat things." Santana grinned at a giggling Brittany before handing her a mug.

"Oh bring it on, baby. I may look dumb but I sure as hell know to work those balls."

"_Wanky."_ Santana replied with an eyebrow wiggle at the blushing blonde. "So you want the grand tour of casa di Lopez or what?" Brittany nodded as she popped one of the mini marshmallows into her mouth. _Still so cute._ She took Brittany's hand and led her out of the living area and into the corridor, pointing out the bathroom as she went. "…And through there's Grandma Berry's room, you won't wanna see that, it's full to the brim with god awful fluffy pillows and cuddly toys. Not to mention a full on _shrine _to Barbara Streisand – it's pretty intense." She twirled her finger by her head to motion the sign for _crazy _and continued down the door. "Then that's Lady Hummel's room. Again, we definitely don't wanna go in, fuck knows what kind of twisted boy on boy loving goes on in there. _And…"_ She said, reaching the end of the corridor. "Welcome to dormitorio di Santana. By far the best room in the house." She grinned at Brittany before turning the handle and pushing open the door.

"_So, _this is where the magic happens huh?" Brittany asked with a wink, looking around her. Two walls were painted a deep red, while the others were left white. Cool album covers and various photos decorated them, and her large double bed was pushed up against the far wall, a leopard print blanket tossed over it.

"You know it. Can't have a fine ass like mine and _not _have any magic happen. It's pretty exhausting being this hot all the time." She joked, smirking at her friend before sitting down on the bed. She patted the space next to her and Brittany immediately joined her, taking a large gulp of her hot chocolate. "You should feel honoured, Britt. I never let any of my friends in my room. Not even Quinn. And the one time Berry tried to come in… well, let's just say it wasn't pretty."

"I feel _extremely_ honoured, Santana." She grinned and placed the sweetest of kisses on the Latina's cheek. Santana didn't know that she was able to swoon, or really what the hell _swooning_ even was, but she was pretty sure that's exactly what she was doing right now. Her smile was so wide she thought seriously about the possibility of her cheeks splitting, and she couldn't help but stare back into those eyes adoringly. She couldn't really imagine anywhere else she'd rather be right now, a thought that would normally make her cringe seeing as it was a Saturday night, barely 11.30 and she was at home drinking hot chocolate. But really, it was kind of perfect. "Let's play a game!" Brittany squealed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Ooh, okay." Santana twisted round to face her friend, a little excited. "What kind of game are we talking about Miss Pierce?"

"A question game." Santana's eyes narrowed at the blonde. "Come on, it'll be fun!" Brittany sang, tugging at Santana's sleeve. "We used to know, like, literally every single tiny thing about each other when we were younger and so now we have a lot of catching up to do. Remember those sleepovers we used to have where we'd stay up late and tell stories and secrets?" Santana nodded and her insides warmed at the memory.

"Okay, Britt-Britt I'm in." She affirmed, grinning at the blonde and shuffling so she was sitting crossed-legged on the bed. Brittany copied her position after setting her empty mug down on the floor. Santana eyed her curiously. "You've seriously finished your cocoa already? Britt, that literally took you about two seconds." The blonde pouted adorably.

"What? I told you I really like hot chocolate. And you make an extra specially yummy one so..." Santana chuckled and shook her head. "Anyway, stop trying to delay the questions. Favourite colour – go." Brittany said, her expression becoming one of all serious and Santana couldn't help but giggle again.

"Britt, that's like the lamest question ever! I thought these were gonna be, you know, _wanky _questions." She wiggled her eye brows and the blonde pushed her playfully.

"My game, my rules. Besides, we have to start of slow. We'll get to the _wanky_ questions later." She winked and Santana's stomach clenched. She was still feeling kind of aroused from their little _escapade _in the alleyway. "Now, go. Favourite colour. These are meant to be quick fire questions."

"Okay, okay. Red." Brittany looked up at her walls and rolled her eyes at the obvious answer. "My turn." Santana continued, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "Favourite animal."

"Easy. Ducks. They're super cute." Santana smiled and her heart melted just a little. If anyone else said that she would definitely think it was lame, but this girl was just so goddam cute. "Favourite movie?"

"Mean girls." The Latina answered quickly. "Regina George is totally my idol. You'd think that girl lived in Lima Heights what with all those perfectly executed insults of hers." Brittany laughed. "Okay, um… Favourite food?"

"Ice cream! No, wait- milkshakes. Wait, wait, no- the shrimp they do at Breadstix!" The blonde shrieked. "Remember how we used to go there like basically every day back in Lima?" Brittany's smile was now of epic proportions and she was bouncing on the bed like an excited little kid.

"Yes! Oh my god I _love _that place. Those breadsticks are like the freaking best things _ever_. Jesus, I haven't thought about that in forever." She sighed and the two smiled at each other, remembering the fun they used to have there. "Okay. Favourite ice cream flavour. Go!"

"Chocolate! I mean, vanilla. No um… rocky road! Wait! Ahh-" Santana giggled and prodded the blonde playfully the ribs.

"Brittanyyy, this is supposed to be _quick fire, _remember?"

The two continued like this for ages, firing off questions and laughing at each other's silly answers. They'd had enough to drink that their spirits were high and they kept giggling hysterically, but they weren't drunk, just a little _merry._

"First person you had sex with." Brittany suddenly said, a good 20 minutes or so into their game, a little to Santana's surprise.

"_Oh. _So now we're getting to the wanky ones huh?" She said with a smirk and Brittany blushed a little. "Okay, urgh, Puck. Gross, not my finest moment. You?"

"Puck, really?" Brittany asked eyes wide and letting out a little giggle. "He's hot if you like the whole mo-hawk thing I guess. Uh, this guy Freddie Wilson. Totally cute, in the football team. I was only 15 though, I kinda regret not waiting for someone a little more special you know?" She said quietly, dropping her gaze to her hands sitting in her lap.

"Aw, Britt-Britt. Such a romantic." Santana teased, reaching over and squeezing one of her hands in her own. "Okay, let me think… First time you kissed a girl." Santana's hand stayed holding the blonde's as she waited for her answer. She was really interested. She felt like she wanted to know everything about this girl.

"Um, my friend Stacey in a game of spin the bottle. We both were pretty drunk and we got a little bit too _into_ it. Everyone just gawped at us while we made out for like 2 whole minutes. It was kinda awkward." Brittany said with a blush and a little giggle. Santana giggled too. "Don't laugh, it was really embarrassing! Okay, my turn. Hmm… First time you, _you know, _with a girl." The Latina froze a little and darted her eyes up to look at the blonde.

"What?"

"_You know. _Had sex. Did the nasty. Bumped uglies?" Brittany chuckled, prodding Santana on the shoulder.

"Oh um…" She pulled her hand away from Brittany's and started fiddling with the blanket beneath them.

"Santana? It's okay, you don't have to answer."

"No, Britt. It's fine. I just… I never really talk about this, you know? I mean sure, Puck, being the delightful human being that he is, always teases and gives me banter about it and it's no big deal. But, I don't know… I've always kind of brushed it off as not meaning anything." She sighed. "I totally freaked out the first time, you know, _it _happened." She glanced up shyly at Brittany who was staring back at her with that adorably loving look again.

"I completely understand, Santana. You can tell me anything though, you know that, right? If you wanna talk about it, it might help to tell someone." She said softly, taking the Latina's hand in both of her own and squeezing tight.

"There's nothing much to tell I guess. I was wasted and it was at a club. I mean, sure, she was totally hot." She gave a tiny smile to the blonde before continuing. "But it freaked me out so much. I'd kissed girls and stuff before, but that was easier just to shrug off as something innocent and _normal. _But anyway, I totally panicked and bailed the hell outta there straight after." Santana grimaced at the memory. She'd slept with loads of girls since then but she'd always been drunk and brushed it aside as nothing, experimenting or whatever. "I just… I've never let myself _feel _anything for a girl. Like _really _feel something. Fuck, I've never really let myself feel anything for anyone. Not until…" She trailed off and looked down at her hands intertwined with Brittany's in her lap.

"Until now?" Brittany continued for her, lifting Santana's gaze up to meet her own. She nodded slowly, her heart beginning to race again. She found it so difficult talking about this stuff. It was terrifying in fact. "Santana," Brittany whispered, squeezing her hand tight and shuffling a little closer. "I _feel _something for you too. In fact, I feel kinda a whole lot for you. And I know it's confusing and I know it's scary but it doesn't have to be. It can just be-" But before she could finish Santana had closed the distance between them and claimed Brittany's lips in her own. She had needed to hear those words. She hadn't realised quite how much until now, but all she could think about was kissing her. She wanted to feel her lips against her own once more, to feel close to her, to feel safe.

Brittany moaned into her mouth as the Latina's hand grasped the back of her neck. Their tongues found each other's and Santana felt the arousal tugging at her stomach once again. Santana pushed Brittany down so she was lying flat against the bed and straddled her waist. She looked into those blue eyes, darkened with lust as they had been before and leaned in again to take her lips in her own. Her hands moved to sit on the mattress either side of the blonde's head and she felt Brittany's grasp her waist. Brittany pulled her down on top of her so their bodies were flush against each other and _fuck, that felt incredible. _Santana moaned in pleasure as Brittany's hips bucked up into her own and she felt her heat throbbing between her legs. Once again she couldn't think straight. She felt light but everything felt really heavy at the same time. She couldn't suppress the whimper she let out as Brittany's hands gripped onto her ass, pulling the Latina closer against her and _holy fuck._ The blonde's hips bucked against her once more and their centres pressed hard together. _Fuck._

"_Britt-" _She gasped, arousal taking over her body, and moved to place hard kisses along Brittany's neck.

"_Santana_." She moaned as the Latina dragged her tongue over her throat and down between her breasts. Suddenly Santana froze. She looked up at Brittany, who was panting, her breathing quick and her chest heaving up and down. _Oh my god_ she looked so beautiful right now. Something like guilt rushed over Santana as hooded blue eyes lifted to meet her own. She'd done this before, a thousand times. She'd let her arousal and her desire take over before and she'd had sex with girls and refused for it to mean anything beyond her own satisfaction. But this was different. This was _Brittany. _And she couldn't do this, not now, not when they'd been drinking and not when so many things were left unsaid. The strangest thing for Santana, was that this time she _wanted _it to be different. She wanted Brittany to know how she felt about her, hell she wanted to know _herself _how she felt. She was good at sex, she knew that, but she wasn't good at the rest of it. And she wanted it to be right.

"Britt, I…" She breathed, still panting heavily. Santana sat up, her legs still straddling the blonde and looked down at her, trying her best to ignore the arousal burning through her body. "I want this to be… special." She said, searching the blue eyes in front of her and watching as they crinkled along with her grin.

"Y-yeah?" Brittany asked through her smile, her breathing still heavy too.

"Yeah, I…" Brittany sat up too and Santana let her arms rest around the blonde's neck. "I don't want this to be like… like all the other times. This is different. I- I want this to be different. It needs to be." She explained as best she could, unable to stop the matching smile now forming at her lips.

"I want that too, Santana." Brittany replied softly, sliding her arms around the Latina's waist who was still sitting in her lap. "So much." She placed a soft kiss on Santana's lips and felt the Latina smile into her.

"Do you have any idea how much will power that just took from me?" Santana asked with a chuckle as they flopped down onto the pillows and snuggled into each other. "Like, I deserve a freaking medal or something. You look so fucking beautiful right now, Britt." She smiled as she wrapped her arms around her friend's waist. Brittany giggled adorably.

"So do you, Santana. I haven't been able to take my eyes of you all night." The blonde smiled back, leaning in and kissing Santana again. They both sighed contently and Brittany placed her arm around the Latina's back, pulling her closer. "This kind of reminds me of our sleepovers when we were little. You know, minus the kissing part." She giggled again as Santana nuzzled into her neck.

"Does that mean we can tell secrets?" Santana asked in a shy voice.

"Of course!" She replied, pressing her lips to Santana's forehead. "The night is still young my friend. You go first."

"Okay." Santana said with a grin, pulling back slightly and resting her hand on her hand. "I… I really like this, Britt. I think we've got a good thing going on here. And… I haven't felt really _good _about something in a long time." She said in a tiny voice, smiling shyly up at the blonde, who shuffled slightly to mirror her position.

"I think so too." She replied with the sweetest of smiles. "Okay, my turn. You're like, kind of my favourite person. You sort of always have been. Like, if I had to choose one person in the entire world you'd definitely be on top of the list." Santana's heart fluttered and her stomach flipped because _oh my goodness that was probably the cutest thing anyone has ever said in the history of cuteness._ She grinned and pressed her lips to Brittany's as softly as she possibly could.

"Okay, I have one. You remember in second grade when you got that valentine from Matty Thomas?" Brittany nodded, her brow furrowing slightly. "Well… that was actually from me." Santana admitted in a tiny voice before burying her face in Brittany's neck.

"_What?!"_ Brittany squealed, hitting her friend playfully on the shoulder. "But I boasted to everyone about that for like a week!"

"I'm sorry!" Santana shouted, sitting up and lifting her hands in mock surrender. "I just knew how much you liked him and I didn't want to see you upset. I _hate _seeing you upset, Britt-Britt." She said a little softer, lifting her hand up to stroke Brittany's cheek gently.

"_Fine."_ Brittany replied with a playful glare. "I guess that was kind of sweet. You know, that you had the hots for me even back when we were like 8." She teased, receiving a shove from her friend. "Okay, my go. I… I want to go, like, on a _date_ with you. Would that be alright?" Brittany asked softly, reaching her hand to carefully tuck a stray bit of hair behind Santana's ear. The Latina's stomach tightened and she tried to take a deep breath although she was pretty sure she'd stopped breathing all together. She had never been on a date with a girl, _ever. _Fuck, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a date with anyone that wasn't more than just a hook-up.

"Brittany…" She said quietly, not sure what to say or how she was feeling. Sure, she was terrified by the idea, but somewhere in her chest she felt her heart flutter and she knew a tiny smile was tugging at her lips, because this was _Brittany._

"Santana, it'll be fun I swear. I just… I wanna do this properly you know? I really like you." The blonde said bashfully and lifted her hand to squeeze Santana's arm, before running her index finger slowly down the length of it with the softest of touches. Santana smiled, remembering how she used to do that back when they were kids.

"Okay." She whispered barely audibly so that Brittany had to lean in close to hear her.

"Okay? Is that a yes?" Brittany asked, eyes wide.

"Okay. Yes. Brittany, I will go on a date with you." _Holy fuck _those words sounded weird coming from her in all honesty, they sounded pretty great too. The blonde grinned enormously and kissed Santana hard. They snuggled into each other, and Brittany wrapped her arms tighter around her friend. They both sighed happily as they broke apart, and Santana lifted her head to rest on Brittany's chest. "Night, Britt-Britt." She said, feeling her eyelids drooping sleepily. Brittany whispered _goodnight_ back and the two girls drifted off to sleep, smiling contently and snuggled into each other's arms.

**…**

Santana awoke the next morning with a warm, happy feeling. She could feel a sleepily smile stretched across her face and she felt so safe and content. She yawned and turned to roll over but was stopped by arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. _What the fuck? _Suddenly the memory of last night flooded over her in a wave of warmth and sent a delicious tingle through her body. _Brittany. _Santana fluttered open a lazy eye and couldn't help but catch her breath. Brittany looked stunning. Like, she probably thought this to herself every time she saw her but, seriously, she just looked so peaceful, eyes closed, a tiny smile on her pink lips and her breathing slow and gentle, lifting Santana up and down with her with each breath in and out. _Wow._

Santana snuggled further into the blonde, gently so as not to disturb her, but she couldn't stop herself from dusting her lips ever so lightly to her cheek. Brittany's skin was so warm and soft and Santana had to press her lips against it again, this time just at the corner of her mouth. Although she thought she could probably watch Brittany sleeping forever because she just looked so goddam cute, she decided she wanted _Awake Brittany _even more. Santana slowly slid herself so that she was lying on top of the blonde, careful not to let her whole weight squash her and began to trace soft patterns with her finger over Brittany's deliciously smooth skin. "Britt." She whispered, ghosting her lips over the blonde's. She tried not to melt as Brittany sighed contently. "_Brittany." _She breathed again, this time placing a light kiss onto her lips.

"Mmm…" Brittany hummed sleepily and squirmed a little underneath Santana as she blinked her eyes open drowsily. _Wow again. _The Latina thought that those bright blue eyes, still a little glazed over with sleep and boring back into her own, were possibly the best thing to wake up to, like, _ever_. "Hey." The blonde whispered croakily, before reaching up and kissing Santana softly.

"Hey yourself." She replied with probably the biggest smile ever. "Good morning." Santana kissed her again, this time a little more deeply, gently sucking on her bottom lip, before pulling away and resting her chin on Brittany's chest.

"_Now _it is." She grinned again and Brittany yawned, bringing her hands up to rest on Santana's lower back.

"Any particular reason you're lying on top of me right now?" Brittany asked with a grin, glancing her eyes over her friend's still fully-clothed body pressed flush against her own.

"Nope." Santana's grin only grew wider. "But you're kinda comfy." She tried not to let her heart melt as Brittany giggled that adorable little giggle of hers. "And totally cute when you sleep." Brittany leant up and kissed her again, sighing against her lips, before suddenly turning over and flipping the both of them, so that _she_ was now lying on top of a very surprised looking Santana.

"You're kinda comfy too." The blonde grinned and pressed her lips gently to Santana's forehead. "Last night was so nice, Santana. I guess we fell asleep, huh?" She added, glancing down at their bodies, still in their outfits from the previous night. Santana chuckled and nodded, before kissing Brittany again. It was long and gentle, and their tongues brushed against each other's lazily and Santana decided that morning kisses from Brittany might be swiftly becoming her favourite. Top five at least.

_Best. Morning. Ever._

**…**

Having eventually slowed down the kiss and peeled herself off from Santana, much to the Latina's protesting, Brittany jumped off the bed, announcing she was starving. Santana yawned and stretched out her limbs sleepily before turning to look at the alarm clock. Despite thinking _why in god's name they were they up at fucking 9.15 on a fucking Sunday, _Santana couldn't refuse the adorably hopeful smile on Brittany's face and managed to heave herself out of bed. Looking up and down at Brittany standing before her, Santana paused for a moment, her hands on her hips, before opening her chest of drawers and chucking some clothes at her. "Here, Britt. Put these on. You can't go into the kitchen still with last night's outfit on. If that doesn't say walk of shame I don't know what does." She smirked at the blonde who shot her a playful glare before turning around to change. Santana did the same, wanting to give her some privacy, and quickly pulled on some shorts and a sweatshirt. When she turned around, she tried not to let her jaw drop onto the floor because _holy fuck. _Santana was now extremely chuffed with the tiny vest and even tinier shorts which she had picked out for her friend. They were short on Santana, but with Brittany's longer legs, _Jesus Christ_ she looked amazing.

"Done drooling?" Brittany smirked, causing Santana to blush heavily and lift her gaze back up to her face.

"I, uh… Sorry, you just look _so _much better in my clothes than I do." She said with a bashful smile, and walked over to the blonde, linking her arms around her waist.

"Not possible." Brittany replied with a grin before leaning down and kissing Santana once more. "Now, breakfast." And with that she darted through to door and into the living area, leaving a slightly breathless Santana to follow.

"Morning losers!" Santana sung as they entered the kitchen to find Rachel and Kurt sitting at the island. She couldn't help but laugh at the sorry sight in front of her.

"Why are you shouting?" Rachel groaned, her head in her hands.

"Jesus, you guys look terrible." Santana pointed out with a smug smile and Brittany chuckled next to her. "How much longer did you stay out last night?"

"Seriously, with the yelling?" Rachel grumbled, taking a large gulp of the water in front of her. Kurt simply shook his head slowly whilst rubbing his presumably throbbing temples.

"Holy shit. Grandma Berry more hungover than me? I kinda feel a little embarrassed." Santana chuckled. "It's like Freaky Friday or something in here. Britt, you didn't order fortune cookies last night did you?" She said, turning to her friend, who giggled.

"I _love _that movie!" Brittany squealed, taking a seat at the island next to the others, who groaned again at the sound.

"Me too. Now, Britt, what can I get ya? Coffee?" Brittany nodded eagerly. "And I can make you some pancakes if you want?"

"Yummy, yes please." Santana passed her a mug of coffee and began raiding the fridge.

"Can I have some pancakes?" Rachel asked hopefully.

"No." Rachel looked thoroughly offended and buried her head in her hands once more. Santana set about making breakfast, sipping on her coffee and humming away. "So, plans for today?"

"NOTHING." Kurt and Rachel both shouted in unison and the others chuckled.

"Britt?"

"Well, I should probably text Quinn." She replied, flipping open her pink phone. "You know, let her know I'm actually alive." Santana giggled as she poured some pancake mixture into a frying pan.

"Why on earth do you two seem to be on some sort of ridiculous high this morning while Rachel and I are feeling horrendous?" Kurt asked, his usually high pitched voice croaky and strained.

"I genuinely feel close to death." Rachel whined, receiving another laugh from Santana and Brittany. The blonde proceeded to rub her back soothingly.

"Well, my poor, innocent children." Santana began in a teasing voice, flipping a pancake and catching it again in the pan. "What you are currently suffering from is what us cool kids like to call a _hangover._" She continued, smiling as she heard Brittany trying to suppress a laugh behind her. "I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you both this. And yes, Berry, there is a very high possibility of death. I bags your car after you snuff it." Brittany snorted and erupted into laughter, soon joined by Santana. Rachel lifted her face to look at her, eyes wide with horror, before glaring when she realised she was being teased.

"Very mature, Santana." Kurt snapped, still nursing his temples.

"Britt, get your plate ready and GO LONG!" Brittany giggled again and jumped up from her seat, leaping over to the other side of the kitchen and holding her plate high. Suddenly a large pancake came whizzing over from the stove and Brittany and Santana both froze as it landed with a _slap _right on Rachel's head. The pair looked at each other before exploding into fits of laughter. Brittany had to grip onto the counter for support and Santana was doubled over by the stove, tears running down her cheeks. "Best. Thing. I… have. Ever… seen!" Santana managed to get out in between cackles and Rachel stormed off out of her seat and into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"You're going to pay for that one later, Satan." Kurt said, shaking his head, unable to hide his small smirk before following Rachel into her room to try and calm her down.

"Totally fucking worth it." Santana grinned, wiping the tears from her cheeks. After a good few more minutes, the pair managed to catch their breath and slowly begin to recover from their hysteria.

"Wait, there's more pancakes, right?" Brittany asked, her eyes suddenly wide with panic. Santana chuckled and tossed a pancake onto Brittany's plate, grinning as she watched relief rush over her features. "Thank. Goodness. Oh, got a text from Quinn. She says no worries and that she'll be in the library all day-"

"Loser." Santana interrupted with a snort as she joined Brittany at the island with a pancake of her own.

"-And she won't be home till later." Brittany finished, shooting a mock glare at her friend before taking a giant bite of her breakfast. "_Oh my god." _She moaned through a mouthful of pancake. "These are incredible, Santana!" Santana grinned smugly and took a bite of her own. She had to admit, she made a fucking good blueberry pancake.

"So, seeing as Fabgay is being a nerd at the library, wanna hang out here today?" Santana said, looking across at Brittany with a shy smile.

"Totally. I'm thinking… Movie day?" She beamed across at Santana who grinned back. The girls shovelled back the rest of their breakfast before racing over to the TV, pushing and shoving each other playfully to see who could get there first and landing in a giggling heap on the big leather couch.

"Britt, get off!" Santana shrieked, kicking and flailing as the blonde straddled her and began tickling her sides. "No! You- get-ahh!" She screamed and Brittany eventually gave in, leaning down and stealing a quick kiss from the Latina. "You're so mean." Santana mumbled into her mouth before scrabbling out of her hold and leaping over to the DVD cabinet. "Okay, what are we feeling?"

"Freaky Friday!" They both shouted in unison before erupting into another bout of giggling. "I'm on the popcorn, you grab the duvet."

**...**


	11. Date Night

Hey guys. Loving your reviews, it makes me so happy to get them! Big shout out to AlabamaMiles, Channy2425 and WeWearSocksFTW for your regular comments, they're great! Keep 'em coming everyone. Hope you like this chapter. x

Chapter 11:

A few hours later, Kurt and Rachel reappeared from their rooms and found Santana and Brittany curled up on the sofa under a duvet, Santana's head resting on Brittany's shoulder.

"Aw, aren't you guys cute." Rachel cooed, obviously feeling slightly better than earlier but still looking a sight for sore eyes.

"Call me cute again, Berry, and I will ends you." Santana glared at her roommate, lifting her head from Brittany's shoulder and turning off the TV.

"But you _are _cute, Santana." Brittany giggled beside her.

"Fine. But only you are allowed to call me cute." She replied with a smile and a playful nudge.

"Why does Brittany get to call you cute and I don't?" Rachel whined. Santana _hated_ her whining. "That's so not fair." She slumped down on the other sofa, followed by a clearly still very hung over Kurt.

"Because, Hobbit, unlike you, I don't want to scream every time Britt-Britt opens her mouth. Your voice makes me want to rip my arm off, just so I'd have something to throw at you." Santana settled back against the sofa with a smug grin, pleased with herself for another well-executed insult. _She would have to write that one down._ Rachel huffed and crossed her arms.

"Hey, don't be mean." Brittany poked her ribs and pouted adorably. _Holy shit, that pout._ Santana rolled her eyes and smiled, before turning back to Rachel.

"_Fine. _Berry, I'm sorry." Rachel and Kurt both snapped their heads up, eyes wide in amazement. _Jesus, she'd actually sounded like a relatively nice person. Gonna have to remedy that. _"I'm sorry that you have to shop in the kid's section of the mall so you can find clothes to fit your midget body. I'm sorry your moustache is getting thicker by the day, and that the bleaching kit I got you for your birthday clearly isn't having the desired effect. Oh, and I'm sorry I used all your blueberries this morning." She smirked and Brittany shot her a glare, but Santana could tell she was trying not to laugh. Kurt rolled his eyes and Rachel just sat there, mouth ajar and looking thoroughly offended.

"I think that's the best apology you're going to get out of Satan, Rachel. I'd count yourself lucky, most people don't even get that much." _Rude. _"So, subject change…" He said, eyeing Rachel who looked like she might be about to cry. "Did you guys get lucky last night then?" Santana's heart stopped. She couldn't breathe and she thought she might faint. O_hmygodOhmygodOhmygod. _She looked to Brittany whose eyes were wide and a hint of pink was appearing on her cheeks and at her ears.

"No!" The blonde squealed and Santana echoed her. "W-what do you mean?" She stammered, shifting awkwardly next to Santana on the sofa.

"Well I just assumed," He began, grinning at the embarrassment of his friends. "Because you disappeared for so long, that you'd both found yourselves some poor, unsuspecting men to play with?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Santana breathed again. _Phew._

"First of all, Lady Hummel, _play with?_ Ew. And second, why the fuck would you just _assume_ I was off banging some sleazy guy in the restroom? That's just rude." Santana folded her arms again and glared at her friend.

Kurt and Rachel both scoffed, which Santana found most offensive, and Kurt looked at her with a face as if to say _you're kidding right?_

"Oh, come on, Santana. You're not exactly, _inexperienced_ shall we say, are you?" He chuckled, watching the red spread over his friend's cheeks.

"Yes, the walls are pretty thin you know, Santana?" Rachel chimed in, a mischievous grin on her face. "And let's just say, whoever it is always seems to be very _appreciative._ Brittany, did you know Santana's apparently like, the _Queen_ of sex?" She turned to Brittany and giggled, enjoying doing the teasing for once. The Latina's cheeks were growing hotter and she felt Brittany tense next to her. "I'm being serious. As in I genuinely once _heard_ a guy shout that after, _you know,_ in her room." Santana groaned and the others burst out laughing. _Not cool, Berry. That was one time… and she'd kicked him the hell outta there straight after._

"That is so- urgh, whatever!" Santana blushed even more and shoved Brittany playfully for laughing.

"I'm sorry- I just… That's amazing." Brittany managed to say in the midst of her giggling.

"Yes and remember, Santana, we all went to high school with Puck." Kurt continued, clearly not done with the teasing. His grin was now enormous and he shuffled himself further forward in his seat. "We've heard the stories. We know all about your... _skills._" He wiggled his hands in a sort of jazz hand motion. _Gross._

"Oh fuck off, Hummel!" She shot a playful glare in his direction. Santana froze suddenly when she felt a cool hand squeeze her thigh under the duvet. _Holy shit. _She whipped her head round to look at Brittany, whose blue eyes were twinkling mischievously and a tiny smirk was tugging at her lips. Her hand began to trace slowly over Santana's bare skin, and, as a finger brushed higher, dangerously close to the hem of her shorts, she felt her whole body tingle in excitement. Brittany's finger continued its slow, gentle movements, tracing circles on her inner thigh ever so lightly. Santana shuddered with pleasure. _Fuck that felt incredible. _Somewhere in her lower abdomen twinged and she could feel her centre heating up. This was just as hot as when she'd done it before in Lola's, but there was something about being in her living room, in the middle of the day, and hidden by the duvet which made this even more exciting.

"Yes, our little Santana's quite the _people-pleaser_." Kurt continued.

"I bet." Brittany winked at Santana as she brushed her finger over her thigh again, this time just under the material of her shorts. _Holy mother of-_

"Hello children!" Quinn sang as she burst through the door to the apartment. "I'm all done studying and so I thought I'd come and hang out here." Brittany's hand retreated from its place on Santana's thigh as Quinn dumped her bag by the door and sat down on the sofa next to Rachel. "What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, you know. Just telling Brittany here how Santana's apparently a beast in the bedroom." Kurt grinned and Quinn laughed heartily.

"Oh, I've heard." She said with a smirk. "I believe Puck's exact words were sex_ machine?_" Santana blushed again and the others laughed.

"Didn't you guys have sex in the choir room once? Or was that just a rumour?" Kurt asked still grinning.

"Totally true, ladies and gents. Actually scrap that, just ladies." She stuck her tongue out playfully at Kurt. "At least I didn't have sex in a _hammock_ in my back yard, whilst my parents were still in the house." She looked pointedly at Quinn. A series of _Ews _and _Gross_ went around the group and Quinn blushed.

"Wasn't that kind of… tricky?" Brittany asked, chuckling.

"Actually, I'll have you know the swing of the hammock allowed quite a good momentum." She quipped and everyone laughed. "Okay then. Rachel, where's the craziest place you've had sex?"

"Um… Well, I once had sex not under the covers, which was pretty weird. _And _with the lights on." She said, scrunching up her nose in disgust. The others fell silent, before erupting into laughter.

"Lame." Santana snorted. "Kurt, go."

"Senior year, in the back of Blaine's car in the parking lot at Wendy's." Everyone chuckled again.

"Britt?" Santana turned to eye the blonde, very intrigued to hear her answer.

"Last year, Disneyland." Brittany said completely casually and everyone laughed loudly. "What? There was a long queue. I got bored." Santana couldn't help but think right then that this girl was the most awesome person ever.

"That's priceless!" Quinn giggled. "I love this game! Let's ask more questions." Brittany and Santana exchanged a glance and smiled at the memory of their own game the previous night.

"I have a better idea!" Rachel squealed, bouncing in her seat. _Guess her hangover's better then? Drama Queen. _"Let's all ask _Brittany _questions. It'll be a fun way for us to get to know her better." The others agreed enthusiastically.

"What? No fair." The blonde pouted and Santana's heart did another one of those flutters.

"Sorry, Britt. Gonna have to agree with Gay Berry over there." Santana grinned and adjusted herself so she was sitting cross-legged on the sofa. "Okay. Aunty Tana will decide the rules. Rule number 1: Britt, you have to answer completely and utterly truthfully. No fibbing." Her eyes narrowed on the blonde who giggled. "And rule number 2: No lame questions. Berry, I'm talking to you." Santana quirked an eyebrow and pointed at Rachel who rolled her eyes. "Punishment for any lame questions will be in the form of making me breakfast tomorrow. Vegan recipes are not allowed. Got it? Good. Quinn, seeing as you're Britt's roommate, you can start."

"Okay… Weirdest sexual dream?" Brittany furrowed her brows in thought.

"Um… I had a dream about my friend's dad once. That was kinda awkward when I went round for dinner the next night." She grimaced and everyone chuckled.

"My turn!" Rachel shrieked. "What qualities do you usually look for in a partner?"

"Berry, what the fuck did I _just _say about lame questions? You owe me breakfast. I like bacon, thanks." Santana smiled as Brittany chuckled next to her. She glared at Rachel who was looking very disheartened.

"It's fine, I don't mind lame questions." Brittany said sweetly, returning the grin to Rachel's face. "I usually go for people with tanned skin…" She began and Santana felt her hand return to her thigh and smirked. "I like dark hair, brown eyes. The whole exotic thing is such a turn on." Her hand squeezed the Latina's leg and she felt her whole body heat up. _Woah._ "Next."

"Worst sexual experience." Kurt stated, raising an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Oh I have a _really _good one. Well, not good, awful actually, but- you know what I mean!" _So goddamn cute._ "So anyway, I had sex with this guy once, and he cried afterwards because he said he was so happy." Her nose scrunched up at the memory and various gasps and _poor you's _were muttered around the room.

"Shit you must be _so_ good!" Santana blurted out. Her face instantly reddened. _Fuck. Did she just say that out loud?_ Everyone laughed and Brittany tightened her grip on Santana's bare thigh, sending even more colour to her cheeks. _Holy shit._

"Looks like we've got two _sex machines_ in the group!" Kurt smirked and this time Brittany blushed.

"Ha ha, very funny. Next question!" Brittany said, looking around at the others expectantly, her eyes pausing on Santana.

"Biggest turn on." The Latina said slowly, holding Brittany's gaze. She could see the tiniest of smirks tugging at her lips.

"Saying stuff in a foreign language. I think it's so sexy." The blonde said, her eyes not leaving Santana's. _Duly noted._ "What else ya got for me?"

**…**

"Brittany's the best." Rachel chirped from her seat next to Santana. It was Monday morning, and that meant that she was forced to endure an entire hour of Rachel Berry for their vocal theory class. She loved Berry really, in a _she's so fucking annoying but she's my friend and I wouldn't have her any other way _kind of way, but having to spend a whole hour with her, trapped in a music room at NYADA and forced to listen to her bang on about pitch and tone and fuck knows what else, was a little much. In fact, Santana was sure she was about one more _I think you need to adjust your breathing on that part, Santana_ away from lunging across and throttling the girl. So it took Santana a little by surprise when she mentioned Brittany.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome." She was more than _pretty awesome, _but Santana didn't want to seem too obvious.

"Like, she's really pretty and funny and so sweet. And she's so _talented_! I mean, Quinn said she's the best dancer she's ever seen. And you know Quinn, she doesn't say those kinds of things lightly. Plus, she sings too. Did you know that?" Santana shook her head. She _didn't _know that. _Interesting. _"And she can do all these awesome things like rap, and beat box. How cool is that?" She gushed with a large smile.

"Jeez, _Gay _Berry. It's starting to sound like you've got yourself a little girl crush on Britt-Britt." She said, half teasing half serious because _hell no. She _was the one with the crush on Brittany.

"Oh grow up." Rachel chuckled and shook her head before looking down at the sheet music they'd been asked to study. "You guys are pretty close, huh?" _Close. That's one way you could describe it. _

"Uh, sure. I- I guess." Santana replied a little nervously. She wasn't sure where this was going.

"I think that's great, Santana." _Huh?_ "It's just… I don't know, it's nice seeing you like this again. It's really good that you have someone who you can open up to. I've never seen you warm so quickly to anyone the way you have with Brittany. Even you and Quinn aren't anywhere near that close." Rachel said with a warm smile. _She was right._

"Um… yeah, well. I've known Britt forever, Berry." She said quickly, trying to shrug off Rachel's comment. "I guess… I don't know, she's just… _different_, you know?" Rachel nodded.

"She is. In a great way. I think she fits into our little family perfectly! I'm happy for you." She beamed before returning her attention to the music. _Okay, that was weird._ Santana felt her phone buzz in her pocket and reached down to get it, glancing up quickly to check their singing teacher, Miss Holliday, wasn't watching. Not that she'd care, that woman was a fucking legend.

_Café. 12 o'clock. – Quinn _

_Shit. _

Something was definitely up. Santana had known Quinn for a long time and she knew that short, to the point messages like that from her meant something was up. What the fuck could it be? Did she know about her and Brittany? Could she tell from yesterday? _Shit, shit, shit. _Okay, she needed to calm down. Quinn couldn't know anything for sure. It would be fine. If in doubt, deny _everything._

**…**

Santana pushed open the door to the café she and Quinn always went to and spied the blonde sitting at a table in the far corner flicking through a text-book. _Okay, calm. Deep breaths_. _Act normal._

"Yo, Fabray." Santana said in her most causal tone and took a seat opposite her friend. Quinn didn't look up but instead kept her eyes fixed on her book. "Earth to Quinn? What the fuck's so interesting in…" Santana grabbed the large book in front of her and read aloud the title. "The Philosophy of Politics. Fuck, your life's boring." Quinn snatched the book back and looked up at the Latina.

"Hi. Sorry, I'm cramming. Exams next week." She said, taking a sip of her latte.

"Gay." Santana snorted before turning and waving the waitress over. "So, what's up? What is it you want to lay into me for this time?"

"What makes you assume I want to lay into you?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I know you Q. And I know something's up. Besides, my Mexican third eye is never wrong. So either we can make bullshit small talk for an hour first and then you tell me, or you can just come right out with whatever it is. Preferably the second option 'cause I's gots places to be."

"Well. I'm worried about you." _Oh Jesus. _It was never good when Quinn said that."I just… you seem, different." She continued slowly, her eyes studying the Latina.

"What the fuck are you on about Q?" She snapped, irritated the blonde seemed to be totally wasting her time. She could be back at home by now, curled up on the sofa and watching TV. Or probably thinking about a certain _other_ blonde if she was being honest.

"I don't know, I guess… Look, I know you, Santana, and I can tell there's something going on with you. You just seem so… _not yourself._" Her eyes narrowed, presumably trying to decipher exactly what it was, before sighing and taking another sip of coffee.

"Look, Q. I don't know what kind of drug they've put in your latte, but could you please stop acting like a whack-job and tell me what the hell's going on?" Quinn was the one acting weird, not her.

"You're just so _happy_ at the moment." Quinn replied, studying Santana's features as if she would find some answers there. Santana stared back at her with wide eyes.

"And that's a problem because_…?"_

"Because you're never happy, S." _Harsh, but possibly true. _"I haven't seen you properly happy in years, not since… anyway, I'm just- I'm just worried because I know what you're like. I know how you bottle things up and pretend everything's all la-di-dah when it's not. So what's going on?" Quinn said, a little more frustrated. Santana briefly thanked the waitress who'd just come back with her coffee, before crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"Do you realise how completely insane you sound right now? Everything's fine. _I'm_ _fine._ Things are just good at the moment. Is that allowed?" She asked, eyeing the blonde with confusion. _What the fuck was she on?_

"Listen, S. I'm just trying to look out for you. I remember how you were when your dad left. You seemed like everything was fine and then-"

"I know, Quinn." Santana cut her off with a sharp tone. "I was there. I do vaguely recall the whole thing. Thank you so much for reminding me." She snapped, her voice laced thick with sarcasm.

"I know, I just…" Quinn trailed off with a sigh and warmed her hands around her coffee mug. The girls sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, before Quinn looked up again. "You and Brittany…" _Oh god, here it comes. _"I can't help but feel like you've been different ever since she moved in. You've gotten pretty close, haven't you?" _What was up with everyone asking her that today?_

"Sure. I mean, you know how close we were when we were kids." Santana said with a shrug.

"I know, but… it's not the same. You're different now. And you never let people in, ever. Hell, you hardly let _me_ in, so I just... I guess I'm just finding it hard to understand how someone you've had back in your life for two minutes has had such a change on you. It's… strange that's all."

"Quinn, she was my best friend. I was my best when I was with her, before she left and everything else in my life started turning to shit. Can't I be happy now that she's back?" Santana blurted without thinking. She hadn't really intended on sharing so much. "You're sounding a little jealous I'm not gonna lie." She added hastily.

"I'm not jealous, Santana. Don't be so immature. And of course you're allowed to be happy, but like I said, things are different now. _You're_ different now. Brittany's so innocent and gullible and"-

"She's not stupid, Fabray." Santana snapped.

"I know that. I'm just saying what I told you before. Don't take advantage of her. She's my roommate, and I kind of like having her around." Quinn said only half-seriously, forcing a smile.

"I don't know what the fuck you're on about Quinn, but Britt's a big girl. She can take care of herself." _What the hell was Quinn implying? _

"I know, I know." She chuckled. "Just please don't go corrupting her. We don't need two Santana Lopez's running around this place. One is already more than enough thank you." She smirked and Santana rolled her eyes.

"_Anyway,_" Santana decided to change the subject, glad that Quinn's sour mood seemed to have lifted. "Now that you've stopped spewing crazy, let's talk about something that's actually interesting. Party. My place. Wednesday. I'll finally be done with my dance exam piece so I wants to celebrate." Quinn's eyes widened with excitement and she let out a little squeal. "Calm your tits, Fabray. It'll just be a chilled one. Us, Lady Hummel, Berry, Brittany – if I'm still allowed to talk to her that is?" She added and Quinn stuck her tongue out. At that moment her phone vibrated on the table and her eyes lit up as she saw who it was from.

_Guess what tonight is? Date night! I'm coming to get you at 8._

_Ps. Missing you today – Britt-Britt_

Heart. Officially. Melted. "Speak of the blonde devil. That was Britt."

"And what's she said?" Quinn asked coolly, looking up over her mug.

"Just seeing if I wanted to grab dinner tonight." The Latina shrugged casually but she could feel a stupid grin plastered on her face. "No big deal."

"Oh, she didn't tell me she wouldn't be home." Quinn looked a little deflated.

"Oh don't be pathetic Q. Go and gay it up with Lady Hummel and Grandma Berry. You guys can all knit or play Bingo or something." Santana laughed as Quinn shot her a mock glare, and she began to get up from the table. "Anyways I gots to go. Need to get some more practice in for Wednesday. Invite Chang 1 and Chang 2 to the party as well if you want. See ya." She waved and made her way out of the café, still grinning from ear to ear because tonight she was going on a date with Brittany.

_She _was going on a date_. _With _Brittany. _Tonight.

_Woah. _

**…**

Now that Santana was back at the apartment and showered after a good hour's dance practice, she was standing in her bedroom in a towel and trying desperately to decide on an outfit for her date. _Date. That sounded so weird. _

After she'd left Quinn she'd replied to Brittany asking what they were doing but she'd simply responded that it was a surprise. Santana didn't like surprises. The last surprise she'd had was last year when she'd come back to the apartment to find that Kurt and Rachel had sold their stereo and bought a karaoke machine instead. A _karaoke machine. _Let's just say it did not go down well.

_"A karaoke machine? Are you freaking kidding me?"_

_"Rachel and I thought it would be fun, Santana!"_

_"But you sold our fucking stereo! A stereo which I paid a third for thank you very much! Is there zero brain activity going on below that stupidly quaffed hair of yours or is this some kind of sick joke?"_

_"Santana, just try to calm down. Kurt and I know you'll absolutely love it! We can host karaoke parties, have sing-offs, maybe even-"_

_"Tell me to calm down ONE more time, Berry, and I swear to god, I'll shove that microphone so far up your ass your colon will be belting out god awful Broadway tunes!"_

Yeah… definitely didn't go down well. Santana shuddered at the memory and turned her attention back to the heap of clothes on her bed. Okay, she might not like surprises, but any surprise from Brittany couldn't possibly be bad, right? The only problem was that because Santana had no clue about where they were going or what the hell they were doing, she had no idea what to wear. Were they going to a fancy restaurant and if so should she dress up? But what if they were just headed to the movies and she arrived completely overdressed? And then what if she turned up causal and Brittany turned up in a ball gown or something and she looked like a total loser? _Fuck, dates were stressful._

Santana decided she should go for a middle option. A tight black skirt, a sexy top and her heeled boots. Perfect. But wait- _Shit. What about underwear? _She wanted to wear nice ones because, well, you know. But then she didn't want Brittany to think she was _expecting_ something. Not that she _was_, they'd been over that, but still. _Oh for fuck sake, Lopez. Get a bleeding grip. _She pulled on some black lace panties and a sexy red bra – they were hot, but not matching so still said causal – and threw on her outfit, before admiring herself in her long mirror. _Nailed it. _She glanced at the clock and saw it was 7.45 – _holy shit. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes until Brittany arrived. For her date. With Brittany. A girl. Who she really liked. Fuck- why was she so freaking nervous?_ She quickly did her make-up – sexy but not too heavy – and pulled on her boots before grabbing her purse and making her way out of her room.

"Look at _you!" _Kurt chirped from the sofa as Santana strutted into the living room. "You look gorgeous. Hot date?" He put down the book he'd been reading and looked the Latina up and down.

"Just having dinner with Britt." She replied with an air of composure, something she was definitely not feeling right now.

"Oh _really?" _He said mischievously. "I see." _Damn Kurt and his probably bang on gaydar. _

"You look lovely, Santana." Rachel glanced up from her seat next to him where she was looking over some sheet music. "Where are you two off to?"

"I don't know. She won't tell me. She says it's a surprise." Santana said with an eye roll.

"Ooh I _love _surprises!" Rachel squealed, jumping up from her seat and rushing over to Santana.

"Oh, I know you do, Berry. Don't think I've forgotten about the karaoke machine incident." Santana glared at Rachel who hung her head.

"I still think it was mean of you to smash it with a baseball bat. I didn't even know you owned a baseball bat." Santana smirked at the memory. _She may have gone a little overboard there, but fuck it was satisfying._

"Yeah, well. You still owe me money for that." She huffed and walked over to the kitchen area where she began to adjust her hair in the reflection on the microwave.

"But _you _broke it!" Rachel squealed, rushing after her.

"Whatever, midget. Now please leave me alone. Your whining is making my breasts ache." Santana smirked and Rachel retreated back to the couch looking very disheartened. "So when's Fabgay coming over and joining this wild party?" She asked, shaking her head at the sight of Kurt reading and Rachel buried in sheets of music. Before anyone could answer there was a knock at the door and Santana's heart leapt. She smoothed out her skirt and glanced once more at her reflection in the microwave before stepping slowly over to the door. _Keep it cool._

"Hey." _Wow._ Brittany stood in the doorway smiling the biggest smile Santana had ever seen. Her long hair was pulled back in a high pony tail, she was wearing tight black jeans that made her legs go on for miles and a sexy grey top with a low-cut neckline which dipped right down between her breasts. _Double wow. _

"Hey you." Santana replied when she realised her eyes had lingered a little too long on her cleavage. The blonde smirked.

"You look amazing." Brittany whispered, and the air caught somewhere at the back of Santana's throat because just… _Brittany._ Before Santana could return the compliment, because _she sure as hell looked amazing, _Rachel squealed and came sprinting up behind her, almost knocking her over as she flung her arms around Brittany.

"Brittany! You look amazing!" _Way to steal my line, Berry. _"I hear you've got a surprise for Santana. I _love _surprises! Santana, on the other hand, doesn't." _Shut. Up. Right. Now. _ "But I'm sure she'll love wherever you're taking her. Just make sure she doesn't have any weapons on her. Sharp objects, baseball bats, that kind of thing and you should be fine!" She giggled and stuck her tongue out at Santana who simply glared back at her.

"Um… okay, thanks, Rachel?" Brittany said, clearly a little confused but the large grin was still plastered on her face.

"Alright midget. That's enough of you. Why don't you give Britts here a little room to breathe and get back to the gay-fest you guys have planned for tonight?" She shooed Rachel away with her hand who reluctantly obeyed.

"Have fun kids! Stay safe!" Kurt shouted from the living room.

"Let's get the hell away from this freak show." Santana whispered to Brittany who giggled and turned back into the corridor. "Adios losers!" She shouted before grabbing her purse and closing the door behind them. _Thank fuck for that._

Brittany said _hey _again as she turned to face Santana and pulled her into a tight squeeze. Santana couldn't help but notice she smelt amazing; kind of fruity and sweet. "I missed you."

"Britt, I saw you yesterday." Santana giggled as they broke apart. "But, fuck it, I really missed you too." Brittany beamed back at her before pressing the button to the elevator.

"You excited?" Brittany asked as they made their way outside the building.

"I'd be a lot more excited if I knew where they hell we were going." Santana responded with a grin.

"Well I can't tell you because that would ruin the surprise." Brittany stated matter-of-factly, her face scrunched up in an attempt at seriousness which Santana thought was adorable. Santana rolled her eyes playfully and watched as Brittany got out her keys from her purse and unlocked her car. "Okay, roof up or roof down?" _Holy mother of-_

"Britt, this is your car?" Santana exclaimed, eyes wide and mouth probably hanging open very unattractively. The blonde nodded shyly and walked over to hold the passenger door open for her friend. It was a shiny, baby blue convertible and it was _freaking awesome._ Santana climbed in and grinned as she stroked the cream leather interior. "This is like, the coolest car ever! And definitely roof down." Brittany chuckled at Santana's excitement and turned the key in the ignition.

"Thanks. My parents gave it to me as a present when I finished high school. No one thought I would actually graduate – I wasn't exactly the best student – so it was kind of a miracle. That's how they described it anyway." She said with a small smile which Santana couldn't help but feel wasn't genuine.

"Yeah, I wasn't big on the whole studying thing either." Santana agreed as she did up her seat belt and Brittany pulled out from the parking space. "I was more into the partying. I loved Cheerio's, and I mean glee club turned out to be pretty cool but studying? Not so much." Brittany giggled.

"Yeah I totally loved the partying too. But I just found classes really tricky. I always got confused and kind of spaced out a little. My teachers always said I was stupid." She kept her eyes in front and shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"You're not stupid, Britt-Britt." Santana said in a firm tone and turned to Brittany, whose eyes left the road for a second to look at the Latina. "You're like the wisest person I know. Always have been." She grinned and the blonde smiled back, before turning back to the road. _It was true. _Even when they were kids, Brittany just had this whole different attitude to life; she saw the world so differently to everyone else, and she had missed that. Santana's grin grew wider as she felt Brittany's hand reach across to take hers and interlace her fingers with her own. For the rest of the journey, they chatted happily about how their days had been and various other things, Brittany's hand only leaving hers every now and again to change gear, before returning and taking Santana's again.

Santana thought she wouldn't have mind staying like that forever, Brittany's hand in hers, cruising through the city with the roof down and feeling the cool breeze against her skin. So when Brittany eventually pulled over and removed her hand from Santana's to put the car into park, she couldn't help but pout a little. "Are we here already?"

"Yeah, it's just around the corner." Brittany replied, closing her door and locking the car. "You'll like it I promise." Santana made her way around the car to join her and she looked around as they started walking along the pavement of a quiet street. She didn't recognise the part of town.

"Are you going to tell me where we are yet?" Santana asked, eyeing her friend suspiciously who just chuckled. "Or is this the part of the date where you kill me and cut me up into tiny little pieces?" _Not that she thought Brittany was capable of hurting a fly. _The blonde snorted and shook her head.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Santana. And I kinda like hearing you say _date._" She smiled sweetly and interlaced her fingers with Santana again, who felt her heart flutter.

"I kinda like saying it." She replied with a grin, because, however much it surprised her, it _did _feel good to say. They rounded the corner and Brittany stopped which forced Santana to look up at the restaurant they were now stood in front of and she froze. "No. Freaking. Way." She felt Brittany squeeze her hand and Santana turned to look at her with eyes widened.

"Good surprise?" Brittany was beaming from ear to ear and Santana was sure she was doing the same because-

"Best. Surprise. _Ever_!" The Latina squealed. She probably sounded about five years old right now but she couldn't care less. "_Breadstix! _Are you fucking serious? I didn't even know there was one in New York!"

"Neither did I!" Brittany was still grinning, obviously very pleased her surprise had gone down so well. "My mum told me. She's friends with the guy that ran the one in Lima and he said they're opening restaurants all over the country! There's one in Chicago too now, I think. Maybe we should go there for our second date?!" She added and Santana giggled. Hearing Brittany say _second date_ made her insides feel all warm and fuzzy. "Come on, let's go in. I wanna see if it looks the same as the one in Lima." Santana followed eagerly, her hand still gripping Brittany's tightly. They pushed their way through the double doors and Santana felt her heart do a little leap. She turned to Brittany who was beaming back at her because although the place wasn't _exactly_ the same, it was pretty damn similar. Tables and booths with brown leather seats were scattered around the room, separated by wooden partitions, and cool pictures hung on the wall. There was even a little stage at the back like at the one back home. Santana sighed as memories from when she was younger flashed through her mind; how she and Brittany would go there after school and chat and giggle for hours about anything and everything. She remembered once how they hadn't even ordered food and instead had forced the poor waitress to just keep bringing them an endless supply of breadsticks. Something like sadness twinged in her stomach, but she couldn't dwell on it for long because Brittany was tugging her towards a booth in the far corner.

"I am _so _getting the shrimp!" Brittany squealed and Santana's smile returned wide. "What are you gonna get, Santana? That chicken thing you always used to have?" The Latina's heart melted at how Brittany had remembered her order and she sat down opposite the blonde.

"Ooh I do loves me some chicken, Britt-Britt. I'm mostly thinking about those glorious breadsticks right now though." She licked her lips and Brittany giggled. "Thank you, Britt. For this, for taking me here. Seriously, this is awesome." Brittany looked down and smiled bashfully. A nerdy looking waiter came over and Santana reeled off both their orders and asked for a jug of water. "Oh, and me and my girl, Britt, here really like us some breadsticks, so keep 'em coming, okay four-eyes? If I see that bowl so much as nearly empty, I will march on over there and tell your manager that his nerdiest employee has been ogling at the twins here-" She motioned to her cleavage and immediately the weedy guy shot his eyes back up to Santana's face. "-and have you fired for sexual harassment. Comprendes? Good." She shooed him away with a wave and turned back to Brittany, who was looking at her with a half amused, half impressed expression on her face.

"Wow. That was uh… _quite something."_ The blonde said with a giggle and Santana smirked.

"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, Britt-Britt." She shrugged and Brittany laughed again. "I wants me those breadsticks." The girls chatted nostalgically for a little while about memories of Breadstix and Lima, before the now terrified looking waiter reappeared with their meals and a _very _large bowl of breadsticks. The two girls glanced at the bowl and back to each other, before bursting out laughing as the waiter scurried away.

"Last weekend was so much fun, Santana. I love your friends." Brittany began, taking a mouthful of her shrimp and giving a thumbs up to let Santana know that it was good.

"Lady Hummel and Grandma Berry? _Really_?" Santana replied with arched eyebrows.

"Oh I know you love them really." Brittany said with a grin. "I know you put on this act and pretend not to, but you don't fool me." _Busted._ It felt kind of nice to know how much Brittany really got her though.

"_Fine_. Maybe a little." She shot Brittany a mock glare. "Berry may have the world's loudest voice for such an abnormally small person and a horrendous taste in tights, but she's actually a really loyal friend. And Kurt is pretty cool, he's just too gay for his own good sometimes." She said with a smirk and Brittany nodded.

"I liked the question game last night. It was cute that everyone to want to get to know me." She said is the sweetest voice and Santana beamed before remembering something that she'd been meaning to ask Brittany. Her eyes narrowed and her smile became mischievous.

"That reminds me, Britt. I guess I'm your type huh?" Brittany's cheeks turned ever so slightly pink and she looked questioningly at Santana. "Last night, you said the things you're normally attracted to are: tanned skin, dark hair and brown eyes. I'm pretty sure you also used the word _exotic_, if I'm right?" Brittany blushed harder this time and Santana smirked, enjoying her teasing. "Couldn't have really described me better myself, Britt-Britt."

"Don't be mean." She shot Santana a mock glare and prodded her with a breadstick.

"I'm kidding. I kinda liked hearing it." Santana smiled and took a bite of her chicken. _So. Freaking. Good. _"Oh and the whole hand on the thigh thing? _So _not fair." She grinned again and Brittany's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I think it was hearing you being described as a _sex machine._ I was kinda… _intrigued."_ She quirked an eyebrow and Santana's stomach clenched.

"I'm not the one who produced _tears _they were that good in the sack." She quipped with a flirtatious wink. Brittany giggled and rolled her eyes.

"That was _one _time!" Santana couldn't help but smile. Dates weren't scary. At least this one wasn't.

"I'm really glad we're doing this, Britt-Britt."

"Me too." Brittany reached over and placed her hand gently over Santana's. Her breath caught for a second and she glanced nervously around the room, before returning her gaze to the blonde. She instinctively whipped her hand away and turned back to Brittany, who was looking at her with a little confusion. Sure, no one in here knew her, and probably couldn't even see, but they were still in public, and Santana had never done this kind of thing before. "Britt, can I ask you something?" She said in a small voice and the blonde nodded. Her eyes were looking at her questioningly but she was still smiling sweetly, so Santana continued. "It's just… You're so _okay _about all of this. It's still all so new to me and I'm terrified of the looks and what other people might think… I know I shouldn't be but, it's just- How do you find it so _easy_?" Santana wasn't sure she was even making sense, but she wanted to know how Brittany didn't let any of it get to her. Santana hated the idea of idiots judging her and labelling her, but Brittany just didn't seem to care and she admired her so much for it.

Brittany's face softened and she took a sip of water before speaking. "I don't know, I guess I just don't really think it's anybody's business, you know? I like who I like and who are they to judge? I know it's more difficult for some people and I completely understand that." She smiled sweetly and Santana felt herself relax a little. "I like you because of who you are, Santana. It's not about being a boy or a girl, it's _you _that I care about. And people might say stuff or judge or whatever but let them. Besides, if anyone was ever mean to you, Santana, you'd either kick their ass or slash them with your vicious, vicious words." She grinned bigger and Santana couldn't help but smile back. How did she always know exactly the right thing to say? Santana took a deep breath before sliding her hand across the table to find Brittany's again and she watched the blonde sigh contentedly as Santana interlaced her fingers with the blonde's.

"Thanks, Britt-Britt. You always make me feel better. I'm sorry for being such a fucking mess." Santana looked down at her plate but Brittany squeezed her hand, lifting her eyes back up to meet blue.

"You're not a mess, Santana. It's hard and I get that and I don't want to pressure you to tell anyone because you should be the one to decide when you're ready. But I do think that when you are, your friends are gonna love you just the same. They're pretty great." Santana sighed.

"I know, but…" She trailed off and searched the blue eyes in front of her.

"And until then," Brittany continued with a beaming smile. "I get to have you all to myself, which I'm more than okay with." _Heart. Melting._

"Okay." Santana smiled and stroked the back of Brittany's hand with her fingers. "You're kinda great, you know that?" Brittany shrugged and pretended to dust off her shoulder.

"What can I say?" They both giggled before returning to their food. Santana was glad to have got that off her chest but she was grateful for the now lighter mood.

"So," Santana started after a mouthful of fries and eyed the blonde with a playful grin. "I hear you beat-box? _And _rap? How the hell did I not know this?" Brittany chuckled and rolled her eyes before laying her fork down on her plate.

"I don't know, I don't just go round telling people. 'Hi, my name's Brittany S. Pierce and my special talents include beat-boxing and rapping. What's your name?'" They both laughed.

"You _so _should do that, Britt. Beat-boxing is like the coolest thing ever. You _have _to do it for me!" Brittany pouted adorably and shook her head. "Oh _please_, Britt-Britt. For me?" Santana looked up pleadingly and stuck out her bottom lip in her best pout.

"Oh, no. Those puppy dog eyes aint gonna work on me, Lopez. Very cute though." She smiled and tapped the end of Santana's nose with her finger. "I'm going to need a large amount of alcohol in me before the beat-boxing comes out!" Santana laughed.

"Fine. But can I at least hear you sing? Apparently you've got a good set of pipes on you too." She grinned evilly at the blonde whose eyes were wide and her cheeks a little pink.

"Where are you getting all this info? Did you google search me, 'cause I'm not gonna lie that's a little creepy, Santana." She pointed at the Latina, her eyes narrowing.

"God no." Santana said with a chuckle. "Berry told me. Apparently she's your number one fan."

"Oh, right. Well sorry, that's not going to happen either. I don't really sing for people – I'm a dance major remember?" She looked up at Santana sheepishly and her heart did its little flutter thing again.

"Okay. I will strike a deal with you, Miss Pierce. You watch me dance and I get to hear you sing." Santana said triumphantly and stuck out her other hand for Brittany to shake. The blonde eyed it cautiously.

"But I've already seen you dance." She said with a wink and Santana blushed at the memory of them making out against the wall in the studio. Brittany smirked.

"You saw me dance for like two seconds. That doesn't count. I want you to come to my exam performance on Wednesday. Will you come?" Santana asked in a hopeful voice. She was actually a little nervous about it and she really wanted Brittany there.

"Hmm… Okay, Santana. You've got yourself a deal. I watch you dance and then I'll serenade you with my magical voice." The girls shook hands and grinned. "Are people allowed to come and watch your exam piece though?" Her face scrunched up in confusion. _She was too cute when she did that._

"Sure. At NYADA, the exam performances are like proper shows. Loads of people come to watch and cheer you on. It's pretty cool actually. Kinda nerve-racking though."

"You'll do great, Santana. And I will definitely be there to cheer you on!" Santana's insides warmed as Brittany tightened her grip around her hand.

"Good, because it gets better. Party at casa di Lopez on Wednesday night to celebrate." Brittany gasped with excitement and grinned widely. "And even better still, there will be copious amounts of alcohol, definitely enough to justify beat-boxing." She winked at Brittany who just laughed.

"Okay you win. So, can I ask _you _a question?" Santana dipped her eyebrows but nodded all the same. "Can I be your secret date to this party?" She said it in the cutest of voices and with the sweetest of smiles that Santana just looked back at her with affection.

"Of course, Britt. There is no one else I would rather take as my secret date." She winked before biting her lip in thought. "But what exactly does a _secret date_ do?" Brittany scrunched up her brow and thought hard for a second.

"Well first of all," She began, holding up one finger. "It's the job of the secret date to look super-duper sexy." Santana grinned, partly at the image of Brittany dressing up sexy and partly because only she could get away with saying _super-duper _and _sexy _in the same sentence. "Second of all," She held up another finger. "I have to pay you loads of attention and flirt with you all night - _secretly _of course. And thirdly, you hold the right to drag me to another room and make out with me whenever you want during the course of the evening." Santana could feel the smile on her lips getting bigger by the second because _fucking hell that sounded like the perfect evening. _Wednesday could not come soon enough.

"I see." Santana replied, pretending to stroke an imaginary beard. "Very interesting. And what do _I _have to do in return?" She asked, eying the blonde playfully and stroking light circles on the back of her hand.

"Oh, you know. Just look super hot." Brittany shrugged. "So nothing you don't normally do." She grinned and lifted Santana's hand to kiss her palm.

"I think I like this plan, Britt."

**…**


	12. Strip Pool

Me again! Been kinda hectic at uni but I hope you love this chapter. Really enjoyed writing it and was spurred on by all your reviews! Keep letting me know what you think - any thoughts or ideas or whatever! Enjoy. Peace out. x

Chapter 12:

_Shit, shit, shit. Santana needed to calm down. She needed to compose herself. Clear head, deep breaths. Holy fuck, was it possible to forget how to breathe? Oh god, panic. Nope, she definitely wasn't breathing. Help! Fuck. Okay. In, out, in, out. Phew. Why the hell was she so freaking nervous? _

It was Wednesday afternoon. Santana was at NYADA, standing backstage in one of the performance theatres, waiting to be called out for her exam piece. And she was freaking out. Just a little. She didn't get why she was so fucking nervous. She's Santana Lopez, a badass. She never got nervous. It might have a little to do with the blonde she knew would be in the audience, and possibly a little something else to do with the fact that she couldn't see her yet. She poked her head around the curtain again. _Holy shit, _there were so many people there. She could see Kurt and Rachel, but next to Quinn was Brittany's empty seat. Where _was _she? Was she running late? Had she changed her mind? No, she couldn't have. Brittany had texted her just this morning to say good luck – _so cute – _and promised that she'd be there.

_Okay, chill out. Think calming thoughts. _Santana only had one thought these days though, and that was Brittany. She smiled as she thought back to Monday night. How after dinner – which Brittany had insisted on paying for, adorable – she'd driven her home, kissed her sweetly goodnight and had even walked her to her door. It had been the perfect evening. And then she remembered she was about to have another perfect evening. The party was tonight, and Brittany was coming as her date. Well, her _secret _date, but still. She had promised to be looking sexy and to be flirting with her all night and Santana was planning on taking full advantage of her right to whisk Brittany away to her room anytime she wanted. Yeah, it was going to be pretty awesome.

Santana was feeling a bit calmer now, although her breathing was still heavy and her heart was definitely racing – that might be for another reason though, she thought. Before she could peek through the curtain again to see if Brittany had finally arrived, Santana caught her breath as she felt hands encircling around her waist.

"Hey you." A familiar voice whispered and she couldn't help but grin. She swiveled around to see Brittany's face beaming back at her.

"Britt, you came!" Santana hadn't meant for it come out as so much of a squeal but she didn't really care because all her nervous butterflies had disappeared and had been replaced by a totally different kind.

"Of course I did, silly." Brittany chuckled, her arms still wrapped around the Latina's waist. "I knew you'd probably be nervous so I wanted to come and tell you that you don't need to be 'cause you're gonna be fab." She grinned and Santana grinned back, flinging her arms around her neck. "Ps. You look super hot in that leotard." She whispered into her ear. Santana felt her warm breath on her neck and her stomach clenched. She definitely wasn't feeling nervous anymore. They broke apart and Santana smirked at the mischievous twinkle in those blue eyes. She glanced around to make sure they were alone.

"Come here, Britt." Santana said, surprised by how husky her voice had become. With that, she grinned and pulled Brittany further backstage into a dark corner and immediately claimed her lips with her own. She felt Brittany inhale sharply into her mouth and lifted her hands up to tangle in blonde hair. Brittany moaned into the kiss and _fuck, _Santana had missed her. She hadn't seen her since Monday because she'd been practicing all day yesterday and so she'd been craving those soft lips. She'd been craving the way Brittany was now pressed right up against her, the arms around her waist pulling her closer still, and the way her tongue was now sliding against her own. Santana tensed as Brittany moved her hands from her back to explore her stomach which was only covered by a skin-tight black leotard, and let out a small whimper when the blonde sucked gently on her bottom lip. _Wow this felt incredible and-_

"Santana Lopez?" A voice sounded through the dark backstage area and the girls broke apart suddenly. They stood frozen in each other's hold, breathing heavily and looking at each other as the voice repeated her name once more. "Santana Lopez. Two minutes." They giggled and Brittany rested her forehead on Santana's before leaning in close and whispering,

"You're gonna do great, baby. Go get 'em!" Santana couldn't help but melt and grin stupidly back at the blonde who had just called her _baby._ Placing another quick peck on her lips, Santana said _thank you_ and hurried back over towards the curtain, squealing when Brittany tapped her bum as she went. She found a guy standing there with a clipboard.

"Ready?" He asked, ticking off her name.

"I am now." She grinned and strutted out onto the stage.

**…**

_Nailed it. _

Santana stepped out into the foyer and was greeted by a grinning Kurt, Rachel, Quinn and Brittany, all waiting for her. She had to admit, she kind of felt like a celebrity or something.

"Santana, you were wonderful!" Rachel was leaping up and down and clapping her hands together in delight as Santana made her way towards her welcoming committee. Her performance had gone really well, and she couldn't help but think it had a little something to do with the _adrenaline_ rush she'd received thanks to Brittany, who was now waiting with the others, an enormous smile plastered on her face. The group clapped and Santana grinned, taking a small bow before being pulled into a group hug.

"Yeah, Santana, I loved it! You were kind of amazing up there." Brittany's eyes were wide and her smile was growing. The others all nodded enthusiastically but Santana kept her eyes on the blonde.

"Even I have to agree, Satan. That was impressive. What got into you, you were so full of energy out there?" Kurt added.

"Oh, I don't know. I was feeling very _motivated _I guess." She kept her gaze on Brittany who winked and her stomach flipped. "Besides, I actually have natural rhythm, unlike the rest of you losers." She added playfully. "Except Britt of course." Brittany blushed.

"Well, Santana, you really were great." Quinn added sincerely. Santana couldn't help but feel her insides warm from all the support her friends were giving her. Brittany was right, they _were _pretty great. Not that she would admit that to them. Ever. "That performance definitely deserves one hell of a celebration tonight." Quinn grinned before taking Santana's bag for her and linking her arm as they walked towards the exit of the building. It was around five and there were no more classes today because of exams, so they were free to head home and start getting ready. "What else do we need?"

"Well, I've texted Puck and he's bringing his big speakers with him, seeing as we _still_ haven't gotten new ones." The Latina shot a glare towards Rachel and Kurt. "We can order pizzas later, and then there's just the alcohol we need to take care of."

"Oh we have plenty of alcoholic beverages at the apartment, Santana, so there's no need to go to the store." Rachel added helpfully as the group stepped outside and headed for the parking lot.

"Oh _hell_ no, Berry. This _my_ party. There is no way in hell I am drinking your wine coolers all night. And don't even get me started on those cocktails you made at Halloween last year. What in god's name even were they?"

"They were _virgin _cocktails, Santana. A lighter, non-alcoholic option for those of us that wanted a break from the wine coolers." _Was she being serious right now? _Santana stared at her in bewilderment for a second before turning back to face Quinn.

"Is it too late to disinvite Berry?" Santana asked, half-seriously.

"Seeing as the party is at your apartment, an apartment which Rachel shares with you, I'm going to have no say I'm afraid so." Quinn whispered back with a hint of a smile.

"I can be in charge of alcohol!" Brittany shouted excitedly. "I can stop at the store get some on my way home. Besides, I make the most awesome cocktails ever, so..." Santana grinned at the blonde's enthusiasm.

"What can I do then?" Rachel whined like a small child.

"You just concentrate on finding an outfit which doesn't make you look like a 12-year-old girl, Berry." Santana quipped and Rachel shot her a glare.

"Right, it's sorted then." Kurt announced as they reached where their cars were parked. "Puck's on music, Brittany's taking care of booze and Rachel, you and I can make some snacks." Rachel's smile returned when she heard she could be involved again.

"Yay!" She clapped excitedly before opening the door to her car. "I can't wait! We'll see you guys later." The friends said their goodbyes as Brittany and Quinn climbed into Brittany's blue soft-top. Rachel got into the driver's seat of her red car and Santana called shotgun, leaving Kurt to clamber into the back. Brittany grinned at Santana and winked before driving away. _Hell yes. Bring on tonight. _

**…**

"Congratulations, Berry." Santana announced as she joined her roommates in the kitchen area. "That outfit doesn't totally suck. Yay." She clapped her hands together in a mock applause and Rachel beamed, seemingly pleased with this rare compliment from her roommate. She was wearing a tight black skirt and a cute pink top and she actually looked half decent for once. Not a god awful pair of tights in sight.

"Why thank you, Santana. I think that's one of the nicest things you've said to me. Now, clear your mind. Which do you prefer the sound of: smoked salmon parcels with a dill and lemon pâté, or Bruschetta accompanied with a light mint and watercress sauce?" _Oh dear god. _She stared blankly at Rachel, who was bustling around the kitchen, preparing various canapés and dips with Kurt.

"Is that a joke question?" Santana deadpanned, hoisting herself up to sit on the counter and suspiciously eyeing the array of very healthy looking snacks being prepared. "I'm gonna go with whichever one of those two doesn't mean totally lame and inedible vegan crap. Is there going to be any _normal people _food?" Jesus_, _the _one _job Rachel had tonight.

"Don't worry. We've got Doritos and dip too, Santana. You can pig out all you want on those." Kurt assured with a grin as he turned to see the disgusted expression on the Latina's face. "And _goodness!_" He added, catching sight of her outfit. "You certainly are dressed for a party." Santana smirked as she looked down at the short, tight black dress she was wearing. Brittany wasn't the only one that was going to be looking sexy tonight. "I must say I approve."

"Thank you, Hummel. And well done to you for not wearing one of those hideous scarf things I hate so much." She smiled sweetly and Kurt rolled his eyes and chuckled before returning his attention to the food. "And for the love of god, please try to control Berry. I think I just saw her sprinkle edible glitter on something." Santana added as she jumped down and made her way over to the mirror in the living area. Touching up her lip gloss, she admired her reflection. Hair: sexy. Make-up: hot. Cleavage: _perfect_. She smacked her lips together and then smirked as she considered the upcoming evening. She was excited. Like, _really_ excited. Her stomach clenched just thinking about how Brittany might be dressed, about how she would be flirting with her secretly throughout the evening. She felt a tingle all through her body as she imagined dragging her into her bedroom and taking those lips in hers once again. "What time is Br- uh, _everyone_ meant to be getting here?" Santana shouted towards the kitchen area, trying to disguise the anticipation in her voice. Before either Kurt or Rachel could answer however, there was a knock at the door. Her stomach flipped.

She waved down Rachel who asked if she should get it and hurried over towards the door. Not _too _hastily though because, _duh, _she didn't want to be completely obvious. She took a deep breath and tried to control the stupid grin that was stretching across her face as images of possible outfits Brittany might be wearing flashed through her mind. _Here we go._

"Oh. Hey." Santana couldn't hide the dejection in her voice as she opened the door to see Quinn standing in the hallway. Alone. No Brittany. Not that she wasn't happy to see her, but she wasn't exactly the blonde she'd been hoping for.

"Try not to sound too disappointed, Santana." Quinn replied with an amused smile as she made her way into the apartment.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I just- I'm surprised not to see Brittany with you. Figured you guys would come together." Santana tried to make her tone sound as cool and breezy as possible as she closed the front door and turned to face Quinn.

"Brittany's not coming-"

"_What?!" _Santana cut her off, eyes wide and unable to hide her emotions this time. _She had got to be freaking joking._

"-until a bit later." Quinn continued with a chuckle, slightly taken aback by Santana's outburst. "She had to pop to the store again on her way here. Something about a secret ingredient? I don't know, she seemed pretty excited about her cocktails. Anyway, she'll be here soon. Until then, you'll just have to put up with your _second _best friend." She winked and shoved Santana playfully who rolled her eyes. "Here." She added, handing over a bottle of Santana's favourite red wine she'd been carrying. "Congratulations. Seriously, you were great up there S." The brunette took the wine and couldn't help but smile genuinely. _Quinn knew her too well. _Santana thanked her sincerely before leading her over to the kitchen area. There they found Kurt and Rachel standing glaring at each other over by the far counter, bickering over something entirely pointless.

"Kurt, as I said, I do commend your effort," Rachel was saying in a condescending manner. "But the smoked salmon _really _should be cut a great deal thinner than that. We don't want our guests choking now do we?" She was stood with one hand on her hip and the other gesturing with a spatula to a tray of elaborately prepared canapés in front of Kurt. _Jesus Christ, Santana was going to need a drink soon._

"Look, Rachel. I realise that you're currently top of your class at NYADA, and have just procured yourself your first fancy off-Broadway audition," Kurt replied in a sarcastic tone, one completely lost on Rachel who was grinning smugly at his words. "But you're a vegan. You don't even _eat_ salmon."

"Just because my lifestyle choice prohibits me from enjoying fish myself, doesn't mean I don't possess knowledge regarding its preparation." Rachel responded. Her voice was now raised and she was pointing her spatula accusingly at Kurt. "I'll have you know, that I we vegans actually know a great deal about-" She was cut off by Santana groaning loudly. "Oh, I uh- Quinn!" She squealed, the frustration on her face immediately dissolving as she caught sight of the blonde and ran over to pull her into a hug. "I didn't realise you were here! Oh, and you brought us wine, how _sweet._" She went to take the bottle but Santana tightened her grasp.

"Oh no. Get your man hands away, Berry. This one's mine." Santana said forcefully, holding the wine out of reach and grabbing a large glass from the cabinet. If she was going to put up with Rachel all night she needed all the alcohol she could get. "Besides, you need a clear head if you're going to finish your fish… _things." _She poured herself a generous glass of wine and took a large gulp as she watched Kurt and Quinn say their hellos. Kurt then returned to the salmon, ignoring Rachel who tried to bat his hand away. Santana rolled her eyes at her ridiculous roommates and poured another glass for Quinn, since she imagined she would be just as in need of a stiff drink as her. Glad to have some sane conversation around there for once, she chatted for a while with her friend. They discussed Santana's performance and when she was expecting to get her grades, and Quinn told her about her classes at NYU and her upcoming exams.

About fifteen minutes later, Mike and Tina arrived. Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee had finally finished the canapés – it looked like they'd prepared enough to feed about a hundred people – and they rushed to greet their friends.

"It's so lovely to see you guys!" Rachel sang, bringing them both in for a three-way hug.

"Yes, it's been ages!" Kurt agreed as they made their way into the apartment. "Thanks for joining our humble little soiree." He smiled warmly and hugged them both.

"Thanks for having us!" Tina replied enthusiastically as she made her way into the living area. "Santana!" She squealed, pulling her into a tight hug, much to the Latina's surprise. Sure, she liked Tina, and she'd actually spent quite a lot of time with her since moving to New York because she'd been living with Quinn, but they weren't on hugging terms quite yet.

"Asian Persuasion." Santana responded with a smirk, peeling herself from the Tina's hold and nodding at her and Mike. "How's life now that you're practically married?"

"We're not _married_." Tina replied with a giggle, looking up to Mike who gazed back at her adoringly. "Just living together."

"It's great, though. We're loving it." Mike added with a grin. "Santana, I managed to catch your performance earlier. Nailed it, well done." He said genuinely and squeezed Santana's shoulder. She smiled shyly and thanked him. That meant a lot coming from Mike. That kid sure knew what he was talking about when it came to dancing. After they'd all said their hellos and chatted a little more, Rachel led them excitedly to the living area and forced them to sit down while she retrieved the canapés. She returned smiling proudly and carrying the tray of food. "So, to start we'll be having delicately wrapped salmon parcels with a deliciously smooth and creamy-"

"Berry, no one cares. Just hand out the damn food already before people starve." The others chuckled and Rachel looked a little hurt, before composing herself and setting the tray down on the coffee table. Kurt disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of wine and glasses and the group drifted back into conversation but Santana didn't join in. Instead she grabbed herself a handful of Doritos and glanced at the clock to see what the time was. She was getting impatient. She wanted Puck to arrive with the music and more importantly she wanted Brittany to arrive. She was the whole reason she was looking forward to tonight. Santana couldn't get the images from earlier out of her head; how she and Brittany had made out backstage, how her body had felt once again pressed up against her own, and how the sensation of kissing her had filled her with all the energy and confidence she needed to go out and boss her performance. Brittany's soft touch and her gentle words of encouragement had made Santana feel as if she could accomplish anything, and the thought of that made her insides all warm and tingly.

At that moment there was another knock at the door and Santana leapt up excitedly, much to the surprise of the others. "It's, uh, probably Puck with the speakers." She muttered before taking a few measured steps over to the door. _Please don't be Puck, please don't be Puck._

"Hey." _Yes!_ Brittany stood in the doorway, clutching a couple of shopping bags and smiling from ear to ear. Santana didn't bother to look at the bags because _holy mother of god. _Brittany looked incredible. Like, that crop top last week had been amazing, but this was something else. She held her breath as she unashamedly raked her eyes over Brittany's body – she figured it was allowed seeing as she _was _her secret date and had said she would be dressing up for _her_ benefit, so… The blonde was wearing an extremely tight blue dress which hugged Brittany's dancer physique deliciously. It couldn't have been much shorter, showing off her impossibly long and toned legs and her _cleavage_ – well, let's just say Santana thought _her _dress was revealing. _Wow _is all she could think and was apparently all she could say as well because it actually came out in a sort of breathy whisper. Brittany giggled and smiled smugly, clearly rather pleased with her efforts.

"H-Hi, Britt." Santana managed to stutter and she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her. _Whoa, _that may have been the first hug she has ever initiated. _What was happening to her? _She heard Brittany inhale sharply as their breasts pressed up against each other's in the tight embrace and Santana couldn't help herself from leaning in and whispering ever so quietly in the blonde's ear.

"You look _incredibly_ sexy." She felt Brittany tense against her as her lips ghosted her earlobe and Santana smirked. She pulled away, realising everyone else was still sitting in the living room while they were just stood there in the doorway. She took the bags from Brittany who thanked her sweetly, and Santana couldn't help but notice that her eyes were now a much darker shade of blue. _This was going to be fun._

"Guys, Britt's here!" Santana announced as she led the blonde towards the others, who all squealed and jumped up to hug her and fuss over her. _Wow, guess everyone loved themselves a bit of Brittany. _

"Brittany, this is Mike and Tina." Quinn said, gesturing over to the couple who were sat on the sofa next to Kurt. "They went to high school with us. Tina used to live with me and-"

"Mike!" Brittany squealed and jumped over to give him a hug.

"Brittany!" He replied just as enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up, much to the surprise of the others.

"You too know each other?" Kurt questioned, glancing between the two of them in confusion.

"Totally. Mikey's in my dance class." Brittany said excitedly, giggling as he plonked her back on the floor.

"Yeah and she's a total badass. Definitely gives me a run for my money." He winked at her and then began introducing her to Tina.

"But Mike, aren't you in a senior class? I thought Brittany was a junior." Rachel said, sitting down next to Quinn on the other sofa.

"Yeah, but Brittany's, like, ten times better than anyone else so they let her take a few senior classes." He nudged her shoulder playfully and she blushed. _So cute._

"Britt, that's awesome." Santana was about to be embarrassed about how awestruck she'd just sounded but she really couldn't care less once she caught sight of the adorable smile stretching across Brittany's face. _Definitely worth it. _

"Gosh, Brittany you're so talented!" Rachel chimed, staring up eyes wide at her. Brittany was standing next to Mike, shuffling her feet and looking a little embarrassed. "We should really arrange to get together sometime and share our expertise. I mean, I could give you singing lessons and you could give me some tips on dancing. It'd be a fantastic bonding exercise! And so beneficial for our careers." She was now sat right forward in her seat and her voice had gone all fast and high-pitched like it did whenever she got really excited. "We could even talk to our professors, see if they'd let us perform together. I'll look through my timetable and see when I could-"

"Berry," Santana cut her off, feeling the need to save a now very awkward-looking Brittany and also kind of a little jealous at the idea of Brittany giving Rachel private dance classes. _Was that weird?_ "How about you stop harassing Britt here the moment she's just walked in the door. Besides, she needs to get started on those cocktails. I wants to get my drink on." Brittany smiled gratefully at Santana and eagerly followed her over to the kitchen area, leaving the others to chat amongst themselves. When they were finally out of ear shot, Brittany whispered a _thank you _to Santana who chuckled. "Sorry, she can get a little carried away. I'd take it as a compliment. She only ever wants to perform with people she thinks are as talented as she is." Brittany grinned and joined Santana by the island where she was emptying out various bottles of vodka, tequila and rum from the shopping bags, as well as various sliced fruit and juices. "Now, let's talk about that dress."

Brittany's grin turned into a smirk as Santana's gaze drifted down to her cleavage. "You like it?" She asked, in a voice that somehow managed to be adorably cute and incredibly sexy at the same time. Santana just nodded and licked her lips slowly before looking up and grinning slyly at the blonde. "Just keeping up my part of the deal." Brittany said with an air of innocence that Santana saw right through. "And I'm glad to see your keeping up _your _end too." Brittany added, letting her eyes roam suggestively over Santana's skin-tight dress and down her tanned, bare legs. Santana felt a twinge somewhere in her lower abdomen. _Was it too soon to take her up on her offer and drag her away to her bedroom?_ Before she could decide though, her thoughts were broken by a loud male voice and she looked up to see Puck entering the apartment, a large grin on his face and carrying a massive set of speakers.

"No one panic, Puckasaurus has arrived!" _Classic Puck. _She rolled her eyes at Brittany who giggled and they watched as the tall, muscular guy make his way around the group, greeting his friends and picking each of them up in massive bear hugs. He then caught sight of the two girls in the kitchen and made his way over to them, his grin widening. "Lopez. Blondie." He nodded in their directions before making his way round the island and bringing them both in for an extremely tight hug. "Both looking _hot_." He smirked as he pulled away and dragged his gaze across both their chests.

"Gross. Please stop leering, Fuckerman." Santana spat, shaking her head at the idiotic grin still plastered across his face. "Britt, you remember the delightful human being that is Noah Puckerman?" Brittany nodded and giggled as he took her hand and kissed it. _Sleaze._

"Of course she does. How could anyone forget this ruggedly handsome face?"

"Or the dead rodent which seems to be stuck on top of it." Santana added with a smirk. Puck ignored her and grinned some more before eyeing the two friends with a mischievous look.

"So, you two done the nasty yet?" _Fucking hell._

"Oh, fuck off Puckerman! Go be useful and set up the music. I have a feeling Berry might be about to start one of her impromptu performances." She waved him off with her hand and he returned to the others with a chuckle. Sure enough, Rachel was standing up in front of the TV, rifling through some sheet music. _Oh dear lord, we need some alcohol. _"Sorry about that, Britt-Britt. He's such a perve, ignore him. Now, for the love of god, let's see about these drinks. Think we're going to need it." She gestured over to Rachel, who was looking very upset as Puck moved her out the way to set up the sound system. Brittany giggled.

"It's fine, he's funny. Kind of gross though." She scrunched up her nose and Santana laughed and reached up to the cupboard to grab a load of red plastic cups.

"Tell me about it. And I was lucky enough to have sex with that delightful creature." They both giggled and she began laying the cups out on the island, before turning to Brittany for instruction. "So, let's see you work your magic. I wanna try for myself these so-called _awesome_ cocktails." Brittany chuckled and winked. She immediately got to work, pouring various mixtures of vodka, rum and fruit juices into cups like an absolute pro. "Wow, look at you go." _Was it weird that this was totally turning her on?_

"Okay, try this one." Brittany handed her a red plastic cup with an eager smile on her face. "Wait!" Santana froze with the drink halfway to her lips as Brittany popped a pink umbrella into it and nodded with satisfaction. _Adorable. _

"Oh my _god_, this in incredible, Britt!" Santana practically groaned because _holy hell, _it really was. Thank god Berry hadn't been in charge of alcohol after all. "What's in it?"

"Well," She began, looking entirely pleased with herself. "That one's vodka, cranberry juice, fresh lime, a little tropical juice and some- whoa, I so nearly just told you my secret ingredient!" Brittany lifted her hand to her heart in relief and Santana couldn't help but feel totally and utterly smitten right now because _how cute was she?_

"Your secret ingredient? Ooh what is it?" She scanned the counter in an attempt to spot an ingredient she hadn't noticed. Brittany just grinned and shook her head.

"Nice try, Santana. No one knows my secret ingredient. Not even Lord Tubbington." _Who? Oh, right. Her huge cat. _

"What, you can't even tell me?" Santana stuck out her bottom lip and did her best puppy-dog impression. Brittany looked at her for a moment, scrunching up her brow and considering the idea.

"I'll think about it." She decided to settle with and Santana grinned. They stood there for a moment, smiling widely at each other and just taking each other in. Santana felt so content in that moment, so happy and warm and safe looking into those bright blue eyes, that if it wasn't for the others, she would have wanted to stay there all night. "Right, we better get back in there." Brittany said reluctantly after a while, as if having the same thoughts. "How would you like to accompany your _secret date_ back to the living room?" She beamed and Santana's heart melted just a little bit. Having placed brightly coloured little umbrellas in the rest of the cups, the girls carried the drinks between them into the living area and handed them to their friends, who were chatting and laughing contentedly. The music started up and Santana and Brittany squeezed down beside each other on the sofa next to Quinn, still grinning ear to ear.

"To Santana!" Kurt announced to the group, raising his cup in the air. "She did us proud up there today." They all shouted _To Santana _and pushed their cups together. Everyone praised Brittany on the cocktails, except for Rachel, whose eyes were screwed shut and her face was all scrunched up.

"I might have put a little extra rum in Rachel's." Brittany whispered with a mischievous grin to Santana. _Most awesome person ever._

**…**

_Things had definitely escalated_.

Santana was sprawled out on the floor by the coffee table, staring up at the ceiling and giggling hysterically, though she didn't quite know why. Her head was all fuzzy and she couldn't really think straight about anything except how freaking hilarious their ceiling was right now. Like, it was _really _high. And white. And so... pretty! _Right, maybe Britt had added a little extra rum to her cocktail too. _The lights were dimmed and Rihanna was blasting from the speakers, though she couldn't really focus on what song it was, and she wasn't sure how long they'd been partying, but she was definitely having fun. _So much fun._ But why the hell was she lying on the floor? She rolled onto her stomach, snorting with laughter again at how silly everything seemed to look when it was spinning, and managed to focus her blurry vision on the couch in front of her, where Rachel and Kurt were sitting. Actually, Rachel seemed to be standing, or bouncing maybe, on the sofa, clutching her tray of canapés to her chest and pointing at Kurt who was sitting cross-legged beneath her on the couch.

"Kurt!" Rachel shouted as she jumped up and down, straining to be heard above the music. "I am _so _sorry! I should have listened to youuu, you're _so_ wise!" She slurred to a giggling Kurt. "Because… because… Do you know why?" He shook his head violently, clutching his sides as he laughed hysterically. "Because these salmon… these salmon p… p-pa- because _these," _She lifted the tray above her head dramatically as if she were holding some kind of holy offering. "Are the best foods, in the hissstory of the world that I has ever tasted!" At that Kurt could no longer control himself and toppled off the couch, erupting into a fit of laughter. Rachel then began to throw canapés at him, which she also found hilarious.

"Santana!" Rachel shrieked as the Latina heaved herself up from the floor and wobbled a little. "Try one!" She tossed a salmon parcel in her direction, only it veered off course and smacked Quinn on the arm. The blonde didn't seem to notice however as she clung onto Puck and sobbed hysterically, telling him how much of a great friend he was. Santana burst out laughing again before being tackled into a hug by a very drunk Rachel. "San-a-na, seriou-ly" She mumbled through a mouthful of food. "I looove you. You're so great and pretty and wonderfully, wonderfully mean!" Santana snorted again because _how great was drunk Berry?_

"Berry… Berry!" Santana stammered in between laughs. "I fucking love you too!" She'd probably regret admitting that in the morning, but who the hell cares? She wouldn't remember anyway. "Do you know why?" Rachel pulled back from the embrace and stared at her with an expression of all seriousness that made Santana giggle even more. "Because you're a- you're a-" She couldn't get the words out, partly because she was laughing so hard and partly because she couldn't really remember what she was trying to say. "You're a _vegan! _And you're… eating _s-salmon!" _She managed to get out before collapsing on the floor again in a fit of laughter. Rachel just stared down at her for a second, frozen with a canapé in her hand before snorting with laughter too and falling on top of the Latina.

"Best. Party. Ever!" Rachel screamed before rolling off Santana and smacking her head on the coffee table. Getting bored of lying on the floor, Santana jumped up, suddenly full of energy and scanned the room to see what else could entertain her. Or _who _else could entertain her. Where the hell was Britt? She sniggered at an overly emotional Quinn before nearly tripping over a pair of legs sticking out from behind the sofa. She peered down to see Mike and Tina furiously making out on the floor behind the couch and laughed even harder when she noticed Brittany sitting cross-legged next to them, grinning and taking pictures on her phone.

"Santanaaa!" Brittany squealed, jumping up from the floor and flinging her arms around her friend. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, Britt-Britt!" She replied because she decided that she _really _had, though she imagined it had only been a few minutes since she'd seen her. She pulled down Brittany's dress which had ridden up a little from sitting down. "Guess what?"

"Oh my god, you discovered my secret ingredient! Or did Lord Tubbs find out and _he _told you? Is he here? Did you invite him?" Santana laughed as Brittany whipped her head around in search of her cat.

"Rachel… ate _fish!"_ She wasn't sure why she was telling her this but it just seemed so goddam funny. Brittany's face scrunched up in confusion for a second before she burst out laughing and clung onto Santana for support.

"That's… I just… This is such an awesome party!" Brittany managed to stammer out in between giggles before grabbing Santana's hand and leading her to the kitchen area. "I thinks we needs more drinks!" _I think we do too. _They ran into the kitchen, giggling and stumbling a little. Santana reached up on her tip toes to grab more cups from the cupboard but squealed as she felt Brittany squeeze her waist tightly.

"_Britt!" _She shrieked as the blonde swiveled her round and grinned mischievously, before tickling her sides. "Bri- ahh! S-stop!" Santana giggled helplessly and squirmed under her tight grip. Brittany eventually relented and moved her hands to sit on the counter either side of the Latina, trapping her. Santana glanced up to make sure the others weren't looking as Brittany leaned in and ghosted her lips across her neck, before whispering in her ear. She shuddered as her breath tickled her neck and felt her insides heat up.

"Remember, I'm your secret date. Anytime you want, you're allowed to-" But before she could finish Santana had grabbed her hands and was dragging her out of the kitchen and into the corridor. In her slightly blurry mind all she was thinking about was feeling Brittany's lips against her own. She didn't even bother going all the way down the hall to her room and instead pushed open the door of the bathroom and pulled the blonde inside. Once it was locked behind them, Santana pushed Brittany up against the door and attacked her with her lips. She sucked and nipped at her neck, dragging her tongue along her collarbone as the blonde whimpered.

"_Santana-" _Brittany gasped and gripped the Latina's neck, pulling her face up to finally connect their lips. Santana moaned into the kiss and immediately parted her lips to allow Brittany's tongue to slide into her mouth and brush against her own. Her light-headed feeling from the alcohol seemed to intensify with the sensation of their tongues exploring each other's mouths and their bodies pressed up flush against each other, and her head was spinning in a delicious way. Suddenly Brittany pushed her backwards, her hands sliding from her neck, grabbing at her ass before gripping onto her thighs and lifting her up onto the counter by the sink. _Fuck it was so hot when she did that. _This time Brittany's tongue began to explore her neck, pressing hard kisses along her jaw line and down her throat, before sucking gently on her cleavage just above the low neckline of her dress.

"_Fuck, Britt-"_ Santana groaned with pleasure and wrapped her legs around Brittany's waist, pulling her closer. Their lips connected once again and she felt arousal tugging at her stomach as Brittany's hands began to roam her abs and then up to cup her breasts and _holy shit-_ "Britt-" She panted through the kiss and Brittany hummed against her lips, massaging her nipples through the material of her dress and feeling them harden under her touch. _Fuck, she was so damn good at that. _"Brittany." She said again, a little louder this time as she broke apart from the kiss, realising she was getting way too turned on and the others might be beginning to wonder where they were. Brittany's hands left her breasts to rest on her stomach and she stared back at her with those blue eyes, grinning and breathing heavily.

"Hey." She whispered and pressed another kiss to Santana's lips, this time soft and sensual.

"That was kind of amazing." Santana breathed out, still panting but smiling widely back at her friend.

"_You're _kind of amazing." Brittany responded and Santana sighed happily. "We should probably get back though, huh?"

"Probably." Santana said reluctantly, before grinning again. "I have an idea though." She unwrapped her legs from around Brittany's waist and hopped down from the counter, taking her hand and leading her towards the door. Before she could open it, Brittany leaned in behind her and whispered in her ear.

"You should remember that as you're secret date, I'm allowed to _secretly _flirt with you all night, whenever I want." The breath caught somewhere at the back of Santana's throat and her whole body tightened as Brittany took her earlobe in her mouth and sucked on it gently. "Just, warning you is all." Santana giggled before unlocking the door and leading them back to the party, her legs a little wobbly from the arousal now pounding between them.

As they re-entered the living room, Santana began to think they probably could have stayed in the bathroom all night and no one would have noticed because the sight they were met with was something else. Rachel had returned to standing on the sofa, but now seemed to be performing some sort of lap dance to a horrified-looking Quinn below her. Mike was leading Tina in what looked like a waltz on the coffee table (despite the fact that Eminem was now blaring from the speakers) and Puck was running around the room with a squealing Kurt on his shoulders. Brittany and Santana glanced at each other before giggling and they let go of each other's hand as they approached the group.

"Right, kids!" Santana shouted above the music, feeling a little more sober after her make-out session. No one seemed to hear her though above the pounding base and loud rapping of Eminem. "Oi!" She shouted louder as she turned the music off and everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and turned to her. "It's time for a party game. Let's play some pool!" She gestured over to the snooker table in the corner and internally congratulated herself when she heard Brittany squeal with excitement beside her. The others though, looked a great deal less interested. Kurt clambered down from Puck's shoulders and groaned something about never understanding the rules of pool, Rachel stared blankly at her from her place on the sofa and Tina and Mike returned once again to their rather disturbing PDA. "Not just _any _pool, losers. _Strip _pool!" At this Puck cheered and fist pumped the air, Quinn seemed to perk up and Rachel, much to everyone's surprise, squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. Santana turned to Brittany who was now wearing a little smirk and her eyes were twinkling mischievously. _Nailed it. _

Santana cranked up the music again and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the kitchen island before making her way over to the pool table. "Puckerman, enlighten us with the rules please." She heaved the Asian duo off the coffee table and began dragging a sceptical-looking Kurt over to the pool table. Rachel rushed over excitedly, pulling Quinn and Brittany with her and the group congregated around the table.

"Right guys and gals." Puck began with an evil grin. "This is how it works: you make a shot, you get to take an item of clothing from someone." Kurt groaned and Rachel giggled like a little girl. "You miss a shot, you have to drink. You miss the ball altogether, pot the white or make another dumbass move like that, and you have to do a dare." Various cheers went around the room and Santana began refilling everyone's glasses with vodka. She chanced a glance at Brittany who was looking back at her with a flirtatious grin. _This was going to get interesting._

**…**

"I get Rachel's top!" Quinn shrieked as Rachel, a little too eagerly wriggled out of her pink cami. It seemed everyone had ganged up on Rachel, who was far too drunk to care and was actually finding the whole thing '_invigorating'_ as she kept putting it. _Weird._ Santana's shoes were both gone and she'd managed to pass off her hair band as another item because now all that was left was her dress. She'd been keeping a close eye on Brittany, whose heels were also kicked off over in the corner and was one move away from losing her dress too. Santana's stomach tightened just at the thought.

"Puck, get those pants off!" Tina ordered, who had lost her shoes and tights, and he immediately obeyed with a wink, pulling off his jeans and tossing them onto the couch. Santana was feeling pretty buzzed again – it turned out that after a few drinks, she wasn't quite as skilled at this game as she usually was, and had knocked back quite a lot of vodka as a result. Her head was all foggy again, she could feel the base of the music pounding through her body deliciously and she definitely couldn't think straight – partly due to the alcohol but probably a lot more because her turn was coming up and all she could think about was getting Brittany's dress off. The blonde had stayed true to her word: during the game, she'd kept looking over at Santana and teasing her with seductive smiles or winks, and whenever she rounded the table to make a move, she'd _accidentally _brush her ass with her hand. Santana's breath had hitched each time Brittany had leaned over the table – a little more so than necessary - to make a shot and she'd been met with a full-on view of her cleavage. It was safe to say the Latina was feeling a little worked up. But before she could think any more about the increasing throbbing between her legs, Puck shouted, pulling her back to reality.

"Blondie! Dress. Now." _Oh my god. _After considering for a split second that those words may have actually come from her own mouth, she whipped her head up to look at Brittany. She was smirking and Santana felt her entire body heat up. _Holy shit. _Brittany was going to take her dress off. Brittany would no longer be wearing her dress. Just her underwear. She was going to see _Brittany_ in her underwear_. Stay calm._

Feeling her cheeks getting hot she wrenched her gaze away from Brittany to look at Puck, not sure whether she should be pissed at him for forcing her to strip or running up to him and hugging him. She was surprised to see Puck looking right back at her and then realisation sunk in when he winked and grinned evilly. He was doing this to mess with her. He knew there was something going on between them and he wanted to watch her squirm. _Oh, she was so going to get him for this. _Santana returned her attention to Brittany as she heard the group begin to chant her name.

"_Brittany! Brittany! Brittany!_"

Rachel was still giggling hysterically, Kurt and Quinn, who had somehow managed to stay almost entirely clothed, were looking very amused and Tina was desperately trying to cover a shirtless Mike's eyes. Santana didn't really notice them though because the rest of the room started to kind of disappear. The music now sounded sort of muffled and everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. The breath caught at the back of her throat as blue eyes locked onto her own and Brittany's smirk tugged wider at her lips. Santana gulped and tried to ignore the growing tugs of arousal at her stomach as Brittany teased her hands slowly down her dress. Santana left Brittany's intense gaze and instead followed her fingers, watching them entranced as they made their tantalising journey down her body, before gripping the hem of her dress midway down her thigh. She felt her breathing quicken and her heart begin to race as Brittany ever so slowly began to inch her dress upwards, revealing more toned thigh, and then pink lace underwear. _Holy shit. _The throbbing between Santana's legs was almost unbearable now as the blonde lifted the material up further. Brittany's toned abs soon came into view and Santana managed not to whimper when she pulled the dress above her shoulders and exposed a matching pink bra which was covering the most perfect breasts Santana had ever seen. _Brittany was fucking beautiful. _

The blonde tossed her dress somewhere on the floor and her eyes once again found Santana's. Santana couldn't breathe or think and her mouth was probably hanging open because _holy fuck she'd never seen anything so incredible. _All she could think about was pressing herself up against Brittany's half naked body, touching it and running her tongue all over it. Brittany seemed to read her thoughts because she grinned wider and her eyes twinkled with mischief. Santana's breathing was now heavy, she could feel herself getting seriously hot and she knew she should look away right about now because she wasn't exactly being subtle. Luckily she was pulled back to reality by Puck cheering loudly. The room rushed back into focus and the music returned to its normal volume again and she managed to tear her eyes away from Brittany's.

"Woo! Go Blondie!" He threw his fist in the air and the others applauded. Brittany took a small bow and giggled as Kurt wolf whistled. Santana could feel Brittany's gaze on her once again but she refused to meet it, knowing that if she did she definitely wouldn't be able to control herself. Her head was still spinning and she decided she'd probably drunk enough. Everyone else seemed to be losing interest in the game too. Puck was still rooted to the spot, cue in hand, gaping at Brittany, Kurt had his eyes closed and was swaying slowly to the music and a very drunk Tina was clinging onto Mike and shouting. Or more like sobbing.

"Mike! Mike! Don't look at her! I saaw you, you were loooking at her! Look at _meee!" _She made a failed attempt to wriggle out of her top but managed to end up all tangled and with her head stuck in a sleeve. "Help! W-what's happening? I can't see!" She began to panic and a very amused-looking Mike chuckled and shook his head before coming to her rescue. A topless Rachel was now sat on the pool table, holding an empty glass up to her eye.

"I thinks… Is- is this empty?" She slurred to no one in particular and began to look around her, using the glass as a kind of telescope. "I's think my glass is empty!" She shouted before jumping down from the table and running – like, full on _sprinting - _over to the kitchen shouting something about getting another drink. Only she didn't quite make it to the kitchen because she tripped over the leg of the coffee table and shrieked as she tumbled to the floor in an epic fall. Everyone froze and turned to look in disbelief at Rachel, who was lying face down on the floor. "I'M OKAY!" She shouted after a few seconds of silence and shot up, throwing her hands in the air with an enormous grin. At that, everyone burst into laughter including Santana, who had to grip onto the pool table for support because _that was freaking hilarious. _

"Alright, I think it's time for bed, Rach." Quinn chuckled as she put her arm around her friend and began leading her towards the hallway.

"But I don't wanna go!" She whined like a small child but was far too drunk and sleepy to protest, allowing Quinn to take her to her room.

"Puckasaurus is out too." Puck announced, finally closing is gaping mouth and tearing is eyes away from Brittany. He yawned, then dived onto the couch. He winked at Santana who shot a glare in his direction before closing his eyes and settling himself down. Mike picked up a very sleepy Tina and placed her gently down on the other sofa, grabbing a blanket from the cupboard and tucking her in. _How sweet. _Santana turned to Kurt and chuckled as he continued to sway slowly to the music, completely oblivious to what was going on around him. Finally, her gaze fell back to Brittany and _wow. _She'd almost forgotten she was still half-naked and heat rushed over her body once again. Her heart rate picked up as Brittany began to step slowly towards her. Glancing around to make sure everyone was occupied, she leaned in and whispered in Santana's ear.

"I'm practically naked over here, and you're still very much fully clothed. I think we need to change that, don't you?" Her voice was soft and full of innocence but Santana couldn't help but shudder all the same. Still feeling dizzy, all she could do was nod eagerly before allowing Brittany to take her hand and lead her out of the living room, down the corridor and into her bedroom. She closed the door behind them but this time they didn't immediately attack each other. Instead Brittany just smiled a warm, adorable smile and stepped forward to stroke her hand gently over the Latina's flushed cheek. Now that they were finally alone, Santana took the time to fully appreciate the sight in front of her. Brittany's body was _incredible. _She let her eyes roam over her physique, taking in the delicious curves of her cleavage, the defined lines of her abs and her long, bare legs. She felt herself sigh contentedly as Brittany pulled her into a soft kiss. It was sweet and sensual and filled with affection, and when they broke apart she looked at her with those bright blue eyes and smiled adorably. "I'm gonna take this off okay?" She said softly, placing her hands on her dress and Santana nodded, returning her smile. She felt her whole body tense as she gripped the hem of her dress and began to pull it up ever so slowly, just as she had done earlier with her own. Brittany's eyes stayed fixed on hers as she pushed the material up and Santana heard her inhale sharply as her hands brushed over her bare stomach. The Latina lifted her arms to allow Brittany to pull the dress over her head and let it fall to the floor. Finally, Brittany allowed her eyes to drop onto Santana's exposed body and she couldn't help but feel a little smug as she watched them widen and her smile grow. "_Wow." _Brittany whispered as she traced her gaze down over her black lace bra, tanned stomach and Santana heard her take another sharp breath when her gaze settled on her matching panties.

"Come here." Santana said with a smile and took Brittany's hand, leading her over to the bed. They settled down on top of the covers and lay there on their sides, facing each other. Santana leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Brittany's lips and the blonde sighed against her mouth. Although the knowledge that she was lying, semi-naked, next to an equally semi-naked Brittany sent tingles all through her body, the moment wasn't heated or desperate like it had been before in the bathroom. It felt sweet and safe and Santana thought that this was the most intimate she had felt with anyone ever. They broke apart, their eyes met and they just lay there gazing at each other.

"Britt, your body is _incredible._" Santana said quietly after a minute and the blonde smiled shyly. Santana took this opportunity to reach out and trace a finger slowly over Brittany's collarbone. "Like, _really _incredible." She grinned as she drew a gentle line over Brittany's bare skin, inhaling sharply as she met the soft curve of her cleavage before continuing down to brush over her toned stomach. Brittany was now breathing slightly faster and beamed back at Santana, before lifting her hand and mirroring her movements. _Oh my god_ was all she could think as she felt Brittany's finger ghost over her skin, pausing over her breasts and her stomach tightened as she stroked slowly over her abs.

"Santana." She whispered, bringing her gaze back up to look at her and moving her finger up to trace soft lines up and down her arm. "Your body is really incredible too. You're so beautiful." Santana's heart fluttered and she hummed contentedly into Brittany's lips as the blonde leaned in and kissed her once again. Santana didn't think she could be happier than right then in that moment and savoured every minute of it; every sensation of Brittany's tongue slowly brushing against her own and every time she sucked gently on her bottom lip. "I… I don't want you to think I want to do anything. I'm really happy we're… waiting." Brittany breathed as they eventually broke apart after what felt like hours. "I just want to stay here and hold you. Is that okay? Is it okay if I stay?" Santana couldn't help but grin stupidly because she thought right then that Brittany was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"I would love that, Britt-Britt." She replied before pressing another soft kiss to Brittany's lips and pulling her in closer. They snuggled into each other, Santana nestling into Brittany's neck and Brittany wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Santana smiled sleepily and let herself drift off to sleep, listening to the soothing sound of Brittany's steady breathing. _Yep, best party ever._

**…**


	13. Mistakes and Memories

Hey guys! Sorry for the slightly longer wait, been crazy busy at uni. But here's a longer chapter to make up for it! Hope you enjoy. Loving the reviews. Shout outs this time to WeWearSocksFTW, AlabamaMiles, Sarah Pimz and singlevow - keep 'em coming everyone, they definitely make me write faster! Also any ideas and suggestions always welcome x

Chapter 13:

_Head. Hurts. _

Santana didn't dare open her eyes, partly because in her barely awake, groggy state she thought it would probably involve way too much energy, but mostly because she felt if she did, there was a very real possibility that her head would explode. She lay there completely still, afraid of the potential consequences of any sudden movements. _Why did she feel so shit? _

_Oh right. Last night. _

Hazy images of ridiculous amounts of rum and vodka began to flash through her foggy mind. Okay, so apparently there was a lot of drinking last night. And they'd played pool maybe. And… stripping? _Oh my god, stripping._

_Brittany. _

Ignoring her earlier fears, Santana wrenched her eyes open and then caught her breath. The memory of the previous night's party suddenly rushed over her a lot clearer now as she turned to see Brittany lying next to her, her semi-naked body barely covered by the duvet. _Wow._ The effects of Santana's hangover seemed to disappear. A lazy smile stretched across her face as she took in just how beautiful Brittany was right now. Sure, her blonde hair was sort of tangled and lay messily across her face and the previous night's make-up was smudged a little under her eyes, but Santana couldn't help but feel like the luckiest person in the world at this moment because this was the second time she'd woken up with Brittany in her bed. It almost scared her a little how completely right this felt, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Not wanting to disturb her peaceful sleeping but also feeling an overwhelming desire to be near to her, Santana shuffled herself closer to Brittany, draping her arm over her bare stomach and pressing the lightest of kisses to her exposed shoulder. Nuzzling into the blonde's neck she sighed contentedly and soaked up the warmth she was giving out. Only a second later she heard Brittany sigh too and she opened her eyes again to look at her. Brittany's eyes were still closed but a tiny smile was curving her lips. "Britt." Santana whispered. Brittany remained silent, but she was now definitely smiling. "_Britt," _She whispered again, this time a little louder. "Are you awake?" Santana couldn't help but giggle as she watched Brittany grin but shake her head. "Okay." The Latina replied through her smile, before rearranging herself a little bit. She kept her eyes glued on Brittany as she began placing soft, sensual kisses down her neck. She felt Brittany inhale sharply under her touch. "How about now?" Santana asked in a suggestive tone, her voice still husky having just woken up. Brittany just smirked wider but kept her eyes tightly shut. Santana continued this game she was now rather enjoying and poked her tongue out, running a long line with it down Brittany's throat and along her collarbone. Brittany hummed contentedly and Santana lifted her head to place a soft kiss to her cheek, but Brittany turned at the last moment and caught Santana's lips in her own. This time Santana caught her breath, taken slightly off guard, before settling into it and sighing happily against the kiss. Brittany gently sucked on her bottom lip as she wrapped her arms around the Latina's waist and pulled her on top of her. Santana's whole body warmed at the sensation of their half-naked bodies pressed flat against each other. They eventually broke apart and Santana smiled sleepily, resting her chin on the blonde's chest and looking up to meet her blue eyes. "So you _were _awake." Brittany smirked and began tracing light patterns with her finger over the soft skin of Santana's back.

"Yeah. But I was enjoying that way too much, so…" She grinned and Santana couldn't stop herself from leaning up and stealing another quick kiss. "Morning." Brittany said with a large smile and Santana's heart melted just a little. _It was doing that a lot lately. _Brittany suddenly crinkled her nose and lifted a hand to her forehead. "My head kinda hurts. My cocktails might be awesome but they're pretty lethal. I dread to think how Rachel's feeling right now." She added with a hint of a smirk and Santana giggled.

"How about we go find out?" Brittany agreed and Santana placed one last peck onto her lips before peeling herself off her and jumping off the bed. _Who needs aspirin when you have Brittany as a hangover cure?_ She grabbed the same tiny shorts and vest from her chest of drawers that she'd given Brittany the last time and handed them to her has she got out of bed. Santana stole a glance at Brittany as the blonde stood up still just in her underwear and yawned, stretching her arms up above her head. _Just… so hot. _She was almost a little disappointed when Brittany pulled on the shorts and tank top but then she grinned, remembering how freaking adorable she looked in her clothes. Brittany smiled as she caught Santana staring at her.

"I like wearing your clothes." She said in a shy voice as she pulled her hair into a high pony tail.

"I like seeing you in them." Santana replied with an even wider grin, if that was possible. She tugged on some shorts herself – an especially short pair for good measure – and a loose vest before turning to the door. "Now, let's go see what sorry state the rest of those losers are in." Brittany giggled and hurriedly followed Santana out into the corridor.

_Holy shit. _Sorry state was definitely right.

As they entered the living room the two girls stopped in their tracks, staring half in shock, half with amusement at what they saw in front of them. The room was a fucking mess. Santana had no idea how eight of them had managed to create such chaos. Red plastic cups and half eaten canapés were littered all over the floor, the coffee table was turned upside down and various items of clothing – presumably from their game of strip poker – were strewn over every available surface. Puck was passed out face down on the couch in just his boxers – _a lovely image for first thing in the morning_ – Tina and Mike were sleeping tangled in each other, very uncomfortably by the looks of things, on the other sofa and Kurt- wait, where the hell was Kurt? She was pretty sure he hadn't made it back to his room last night because his door was still wide open and there was no sign of him in there. Just as she was thinking this and mildly panicking, Brittany nudged her arm and pointed over to the pool table grinning. Santana followed her line of sight and managed to stifle a laugh as she caught sight of Kurt, fully clothed, passed out on the pool table. _Priceless._

"That is just… oh my _god_!" Santana managed to get out between stifled laughter, trying hard to whisper so as not to wake any of them up. "We have to get photo evidence of this." Santana grabbed Brittany's hand and tip toed over to the corner of the room where the pool table was and pulled her phone out from her shorts pocket. She leaned over the table carefully to get the best angle, all the while trying her hardest not to laugh. She'd forgotten to put her phone on silent though and as she took a picture the camera shutter clicked loudly only a few inches above his face. Brittany grabbed onto her arm and they froze as Kurt scrunched his nose and shuffled a little. Suddenly he shot up and looked around him, eyes wide with alarm and confusion.

"What the-" He cut himself off with a loud groan and clutched his head. "Dear god. Why does my head feel like a truck ran over it? And then reversed, and ran over it again?" He winced, as if pained by the sound of his own voice and glanced down to look at his fully clothed self and then at the green felt he was sitting on. "And why on _earth _was I sleeping on the pool table?" At this the two girls couldn't take anymore and erupted into fits of laughter, clutching onto each other for support. "I'm glad you both find this so funny." He snapped but his voice was so croaky and barely audible that it was hardly intimidating. He let himself down from the table tentatively and scanned the room with an expression of disbelief. "What _happened _here last night?" All Santana and Brittany could do was shake their heads in response whilst wiping the tears from their eyes.

"Come on, Lady Hummel, let's get you some coffee." Santana finally managed to say and made her way over to the kitchen. "And possibly a comb." She added with a smirk, eyeing his usually immaculate hair which was now sticking out at alarmingly rakish angles. His eyes widened and he shot his hand up to his head, before deciding he didn't have the energy and followed Santana to the kitchen, plonking himself down on a stool. Brittany followed, still trying hard not to laugh. "Britt, coffee?" Santana asked from her place over by the counter where she was grabbing mugs from the cupboard.

"Yes _please!"_ She practically groaned, receiving a small giggle from Santana. She poured the three of them strong cups of coffee, grabbed a packet of aspirin and joined them at the island. "Great party, Santana." Brittany said with a grin as she gratefully took the steaming mug and blew on it to cool it down.

"It really was." Santana replied with a warm smile and took a sip of her own coffee. Kurt didn't even look up. He instead kept his head in his hands and mumbled something unintelligible. Brittany and Santana exchanged amused glances over the rims of their mugs. Suddenly Kurt shot his head up and looked between them with a panicked expression.

"What time is it?" He asked, his voice still scratchy. Brittany checked her phone.

"Like 8.30. Why?" Kurt breathed a sigh of relief, before reaching for the aspirin packet and knocking back a pill with his coffee.

"Thank goodness. I have class at 11 and had a sudden panic that I'd missed it. Remind me again why we decided to throw a raging party on a Wednesday night?" He asked with another groan and took a larger gulp of coffee.

"Because, Hummel, we were celebrating my exam remember? Or did you consume so much alcohol last night that your _entire_ memory has gone?" He didn't bother to respond and instead began rubbing circles on his temples. "Besides, so what if you miss your class? Your whole Broadway career isn't going to be ruined from skipping one shitty class." He just shook his head, still massaging his throbbing temples.

"I have to go. It's an important class. We're… doing…" He trailed off, words apparently becoming too much for him. Santana chuckled and turned to Brittany, who was now swallowing an aspirin herself.

"Britt-Britt? What about you?"

"Um, I have dance theory at 12. But I so don't wanna go." She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted that adorable pout.

"Then don't! Stay here with me!" Santana suggested, cringing a little at how eager she'd sounded. She didn't want Brittany to leave, and she knew if she did that she wouldn't be able to distract herself from her hangover any longer and would probably just crawl back into bed and mong around all day. Brittany furrowed her brow, considering this suggestion, but not convinced. "Oh, _come_ _on_. You know you want to." Santana grinned at her and watched as her face softened, seemingly persuaded.

"Okay, _fine._" Brittany said with a roll of her eyes. "But if I get into trouble I'm blaming you." She narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at Santana who grinned even wider.

"Totally fair." She leapt up and wrapped her arms around Brittany's shoulders, figuring Kurt was far too hungover to think anything of it. "I'll make you an omelette as a thank you." Brittany beamed brightly and squeezed Santana's arms that were wrapped around her before the Latina got up and headed over to the fridge.

"Morning children!" Quinn sung brightly as she entered the living area. She clearly wasn't feeling the effects of the night before. She paused and looked with amusement at the sight she was met with in the living room. "Has anyone checked they're actually alive?" She mused without a scrap of concern.

"I'm sure they're fine." Brittany said with a wave of her hand, equally untroubled. "Besides, even if they're not, I don't know CPR so not much we can do." Santana chuckled over by the stove as she cracked some eggs into a pan.

"Santana, I don't think I've ever seen you make breakfast before. Are you still drunk?" Quinn asked, her voice laced with sarcasm as she peered over her friend's shoulder to inspect the omelette she was making. Santana shrugged. "Let me guess. Brittany, it's for you?" Brittany grinned and nodded and Quinn rolled her eyes. "I should have guessed. Anyway, I just wanted to warn everyone before she makes an appearance, that Rachel isn't… feeling her best, to put it delicately. So if we could all try our best to be a little _sensitive_." Santana grinned evilly at these words because tormenting a hungover Rachel Berry was one of her favourite pastimes and not something she got to indulge in very often. And _sensitive_ wasn't a word that had ever been used to describe Santana Lopez. _This was going to be fun._ She turned to look at Brittany whose eyes were also glinting mischievously. At that moment, Santana heard the door to Rachel's bedroom open and didn't even try to suppress the snort of laughter which came out when a very bedraggled looking Rachel stumbled into the living room. She was still wearing her skirt from the night before, but her pink top was inside out and the wrong way round, looking completely ridiculous with the label at the front. Her hair was matted and sticking out from one side of her head and mascara was smudged all under her eyes.

"Oh my fucking god, Berry. You look like a Jewish version of my Uncle Jeffrey. _After_ he got hit by a bus." Quinn shot her a glare but Rachel didn't even seem to register that she'd said anything as she heaved herself onto a stool and placed her forehead gently down on the table. Quinn passed her a mug of coffee with a pitying look and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I feel as if lots of tiny people have crawled inside my brain and are now proceeding to attack it with equally tiny, but very real sledge hammers." _How did Berry manage to produce such annoyingly long-winded sentences even in her hungover state?_ Rachel groaned and blindly fumbled around the island for an aspirin without attempting to look up. Quinn eventually passed it to her.

"Imagine if there really were like all these tiny little people living inside your brain, how cool would that be? They'd probably have the job of organising all our thoughts in tiny little filing cabinets of something." Brittany chirped excitedly. Santana chuckled and Quinn gave her a bemused look, while Rachel simply groaned again.

"How about some breakfast, Berry? Will that make you feel better? I'm doing omelettes." Santana asked, her mischievous smile still in place.

"How many times, Santana? I'm a vegan. We don't eat eggs." Rachel groaned again and buried her head in her hands.

"Oh right okay. I just assumed because of last night you'd, you know, changed your mind about the whole vegan thing." Santana continued, having trouble hiding the amusement in her voice. She turned round to see Brittany smirking, obviously knowing where this was going, and Rachel shot her head up.

"Why? Why would you think that?" Her voice was high and her eyes were wide with alarm.

"Oh, do you not remember?" Santana was enjoying this now. Brittany was trying her hardest not to laugh and Kurt was shaking his head.

"Remember what? Remember _what?_" She was panicking now.

"Oh, only that you stuffed down an entire tray of _salmon_ canapés. Nothing to get your granny knickers in a twist about." Santana shrugged and returned her attention to the pan. Even with her back to Rachel she could feel her realisation setting in. _One, two, three…_

"_What?!"_ Rachel shrieked, and proceeded to turn a worrying shade of green. "I can't have… I- I… I think I'm going to be sick!" With that she clasped her hand over her mouth and rushed into the bathroom, leaving behind a sniggering Santana and Brittany._ This never got old._

"What did I _just_ say, S?" Quinn attempted a scowl, but even she couldn't hide her amusement. "You just couldn't help yourself could you?"

"Look, I'm sorry that most of my jokes are borderline offensive. And by sorry, I mean you're welcome, because I'm freaking hilarious." Santana turned and placed an omelette onto the plate in front of a giggling Brittany.

"Well, aren't you just a little bundle of bitch today?" Quinn attempted an insult but her smirk gave her away. "You were in a great mood last night. Don't tell me that's over already?"

"Oh, please. You know I can't tolerate any of you losers without alcohol. Vodka seems to numb the constant urge I have to punch Berry in the face." Santana plopped an omelette onto her own plate before turning off the heat and pulling up a stool to join the others.

"Oh is that right?" She teased. "Funny, I could have sworn I heard you tell Rachel about how much you loved her last night. _And _I saw you give her a hug." Quinn chuckled at Santana, who had paused mid-mouthful and whose eyes were practically popping out of her head.

"I swear to god, Fabray. If you tell _anyone-_" She glared and jabbed a finger at Quinn. The blonde only laughed again, before shaking her head and making her way towards Rachel's room, presumably to make sure she was okay and to check hadn't passed out or anything. Santana turned back to Brittany who was now grinning.

"See, I told you you love them really." She nudged her arm playfully and laughed as Santana rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She couldn't fight the smile that was tugging at her lips because Brittany just knew her so well. _How was that possible? _She'd only been back in her life for a couple of weeks. "Come on, finish up and we'll go get changed." Brittany smiled wide and shovelled the last of her omelette into her mouth.

"Does that mean I get to borrow more of your clothes?" Brittany's eyes were so wide and her voice was so hopeful, just as if she was a small child who was asking if she could stay up past bedtime. Santana couldn't help but smile again and she looked deep into those bright blue eyes.

"Yes, Britt."

**…**

After they'd showered and dressed – Brittany had chosen grey sweatpants and a pink NYADA t-shirt of Santana's which just looked freaking adorable on her – the other's had all left. Quinn had gone home to study, _again_, Kurt and Rachel had hurried off to class – god knows how or why considering the state of both of them – Tina and Mike had probably disappeared off to their apartment, and Puck had left for his shift at Lola's. He'd seemed on surprisingly good form considering the amount of vodka he'd had the night before, but he announced it was because he was 95% sure he was still drunk.

So now it was just Santana and Brittany in the apartment. They were settled down on the big leather sofa, Brittany facing towards the TV and Santana leaning with her back against the armrest and her legs over Brittany's lap. Santana had said that Brittany could choose the movie, and then smiled hard when she'd responded almost immediately with Finding Nemo. Sure, Santana loved that movie, it was genius, but she was finding herself rather distracted right now. She was watching the blonde beside her with fascination, or awe, or something like that. She knew she was staring, but she didn't really care. She couldn't take her eyes off Brittany's profile; the way she would adorably scrunch up her eyebrows when something was going wrong in the film, and then the way her face would melt into a large grin whenever something funny happened.

"Dory is like my long-lost cousin or something." Brittany mused without releasing her gaze from the screen and Santana grinned wider. _She was so cute. _She thought Brittany might be able to feel her eyes on her because a few minutes later the blonde lifted her hands to rest on her ankles, and then began tracing soft patterns on the bare skin there. Santana felt that place somewhere in her lower abdomen twinge again and kept her eyes on Brittany's hands. Her touches were so soft and slow and almost therapeutic, that she let her head fall back onto the arm rest and allowed her eyes to close. She immediately opened them again however when she felt Brittany's touch move slowly higher up her calf. Brittany's eyes were still glued to the TV and Santana couldn't tell if the tiny curve at her lips was because of something happening in the film or because of the shiver that had just run over Santana's body. Her stomach tightened again as Brittany moved her hands behind Santana's knees and her fingers began their soft circles once again. She felt her muscles tense and attempted to hide her sharp intake of air because _that spot_ got her every time. It sent delicious tingles down her body and made her heart beat just that little bit faster, and she was sure Brittany had noticed because her smirk was growing wider. Even though they were still fixed on the television, Santana could see the twinkle in those blue eyes and she knew she was being teased. She shuffled slightly on the couch and scooted a little closer to the blonde, whose lips curved upwards even further. Brittany's hands were now on Santana's bare thighs – _she silently thanked god she'd kept her tiny shorts on_ – and now she could feel the heat beginning to gather between her legs. She glanced around the room quickly, she didn't know why really because she knew no one was home, and then in one swift movement she lifted one of her legs over Brittany's waist and straddled her. Brittany gasped a little in surprise before placing her hands on Santana's hips and grinning.

"Hi." Santana said softly as she lost herself in blue eyes.

"Santanaaa, I can't see the TV." Brittany whined playfully as she moved her head from side to side in an attempt to see the screen. "I mean, I've seen this movie like a thousand times, but still. They're just about to meet the turtles and those guys are super cool." Santana smiled even wider at just how adorable Brittany was right now and looped her arms around her neck.

"Well, the thing is," Santana began, her grin still wide and moving one of her hands to slowly trace a finger up and down Brittany's arm. "No one else is here right now. We have the apartment all to ourselves." She widened her eyes suggestively and Brittany immediately stopped her squirming and met her gaze. A smirk was pulling at her lips and her hands tightened their grip on Santana's hips.

"Oh." Brittany replied softly, her eyes darting between Santana's eyes and her lips. "Well in _that_ case," She pulled the Latina further towards her in her lap so that their faces were now inches apart. A sudden wave of heat rushed over Santana as she felt her centre press down against Brittany's and she gulped hard. "This view is _way _better than the TV." Brittany pressed the off switch on the remote and moved her hands to rest on Santana's tummy. She slipped them inside her t-shirt and Santana heard her breathing hitch as Brittany's hands stroked over her bare skin. Her stomach was hot and the coolness of Brittany's touch sent shivers down her body – the delicious kind. "So they won't be back for a while?" Santana tried to control her breathing as she shook her head _no._ "And there's definitely no one else here?" Her hands continued to roam Santana's bare stomach and she shook her head again. She felt kind of light-headed under Brittany's soft but deliberate touches and the intensity of her gaze. She couldn't figure out if the way she was looking at her completely terrified her or made her feel like the happiest person in the world. No one had ever looked at her like that. Actually, that wasn't true. _Brittany _had looked at her like that. She always had, even when they were little. It was a look that held so much affection and made her feel so safe. She knew then that this was right, it always had been.

Santana lifted the hand that had been stroking up and down Brittany's arm, and brushed it gently over her cheek. She slowly leaned even further forward so that their lips were now almost touching and she could feel Brittany's breath against her face. Blue eyes searched her own and she smiled before whispering. "Britt, I'm… I think I'm…" _Shit, why was this so hard?_ She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm ready." Brittany smiled the widest smile Santana had seen and closed the distance between them, finally catching her lips in her own. Santana sighed into the kiss and brought her other hand up to cup Brittany's face. Brittany hummed into her mouth as Santana's tongue pushed past her lips to brush against her own before-

_Holy mother of fuck. _She hadn't heard it. She hadn't heard the footsteps leading up to the door or the jangling of keys outside, and she hadn't heard the front door until it slammed shut. _No, no, no._

Santana broke away from Brittany and leapt up off the couch so fast she nearly stumbled backwards into the coffee table. She shot her eyes up to see Rachel frozen by the door part way through taking her jacket off. _Shit, shit, shit. _Santana was pretty sure her heart had stopped beating. She may actually be having a heart attack right here in the living room. Rachel was rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with shock and her mouth slightly ajar. She looked slowly between Santana, who was still frozen by the coffee table, her cheeks a deep shade of pink, and Brittany, who was sitting completely still on the sofa, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. None of them knew what to say or where to look. _Oh my god. This was not happening. This could not be happening. Fuck, fuck, fuck. _She tried to say something, anything, but her head was spinning. She felt like she might pass out. Rachel was eventually the one who broke the silence.

"I, uh- I'm so sorry!" She blurted out, tearing her gaze away from her friends and looking awkwardly at the floor. "I didn't mean to- I uh, I had to leave my class because I thought I was going to puke again. I'm so sor-."

"Berry." Santana snapped. Guess her voice was working again. "This wasn't… It, uh… wasn't what it looked like." She was trying to find the right words, but her brain wasn't really working. All she knew was that she was no way ready for anyone to know about this, especially blabber-mouth Berry. "It's nothing. Really." She daren't look at Brittany because she didn't want to see the confusion and hurt that she was sure was now spreading across her face. She just needed Rachel to go. She needed to convince her this wasn't what it looked like. She needed more time. "It's nothing."

"Oh, I uh… No I didn't think… It's fine, really. I'll leave you two to…" Rachel's cheeks were blushing and she was looking anywhere but at Santana. "I have to go, uh… read over some songs, for my… singing." She hurried through the living room, one arm still awkwardly in her jacket, and disappeared into her bedroom. The door shut and the room fell silent again. Santana didn't look at Brittany, she couldn't. She had no idea what to say.

"I'm gonna go." _What?_ Santana finally whipped her head around and looked at Brittany. Her heart sank. Like, she never really understood what that expression meant until right this second. Brittany looked so sad and hurt, but most of all, disappointed. Like she'd expected better from her, or _hoped_ for better from her. She stood up and grabbed her purse, before glancing quickly at Santana. Their eyes locked for a second and Santana felt like she'd been punched in the stomach when she saw the glossiness of Brittany's eyes and the single, tiny tear that ran down her cheek before she lifted her hand and hurriedly wiped it away.

"Britt, don't-" Santana took a step towards her but Brittany looked away.

"No, Santana. It's fine… It's nothing." Santana winced at the way Brittany echoed her words from just a few minutes ago. Before Santana could find the right words to reply, Brittany had turned and made her way over to the front door before letting herself out and closing it behind her.

_Fuck._

**…**

Santana wasn't sure how long it had been since Brittany had left, probably only a few minutes, but she was sure they were the worst of her life. She had stood, frozen for a few moments until she suddenly felt kind of weak and had to sit down. She fell onto the sofa and stared blankly at the black television screen. A wave of guilt and frustration flooded over her body, before being replaced with a rush of sadness. She felt her chest tighten and a lump form in her throat, and before she knew it tears were building up behind her eyes. She tried to blink them away because she didn't want to cry right now. She _never _cried, except occasionally when drunk, but she really needed to think straight right now. Santana tried to gulp down a sob but it escaped anyway. She felt her shoulders buckle and her head fell into her hands and she just cried. _Why was she so bad at this? Why did she ruin everything that was ever good in her life? _She tried to force back the sobs but they just came faster. Her shoulders were shaking and her hands holding her face were now wet with tears. _How could Brittany be so brave and she be so fucking weak? Brittany didn't need her, she didn't need her hurting her like she knew she would. Quinn had been right the whole time; she wasn't good enough for Brittany. _This thought made her tears fall harder, because the worst part was that she wanted to be good enough for her, more than anything else in this world. She had to go after her, to speak to her and make this all go away.

Santana went to stand but her body felt useless right now and she couldn't move. She just sat there and let the crying take over. She hated crying usually, it just seemed so over-dramatic and pathetic, but right now it was kind of helping. At least a little. Suddenly her body tensed and she shot her head up out of her hands as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Rachel had sat down on the sofa next to her and was looking at her with shock, or confusion maybe.

"Santana." She said softly and began rubbing her back soothingly. "Are you- I don't think I've ever seen you cry." She was looking at her with such concern and with so much sympathy that Santana started sobbing all over again. Rachel wrapped her arm around her shoulder and Santana let herself crumple into her friend. "Shh. It's okay." Santana just sat there, Rachel's arms wrapped around her and her face buried in her shoulder, crying, for god knows how long. Eventually her sobs slowed and her breathing began to return to normal. She felt kind of light-headed and empty from all the crying, but definitely a little better for it. She pulled herself away and sat up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Thanks." Santana sniffled. Rachel nodded and smiled weakly.

"Is everything- What's going on? If you're crying like this it must be important." Rachel was searching her eyes, presumably for answers, but Santana didn't know what to say. _What the fuck was there to say? How could she explain any of this?_ Seeing that she wasn't going to get an answer, Rachel continued. "Is this about what I… saw earlier?" Santana wiped away another tear that was falling from her face and nodded slowly. "Okay." Rachel nodded reassuringly. "Did Brittany get upset and leave? Is that why you're crying?" She was being very careful about what she said and so patient. Okay, she annoyed the hell out of her most of the time, but Rachel really was a good friend. Santana nodded again and took a deep breath before she spoke.

"I just… I don't know what to do." Her voice was a little shaky but she continued because there was no real way of hiding this now and she had to get it out. "I can't believe I told her it was _nothing_." With that her voice broke completely and another sob broke its way out. Rachel returned her hand to her shoulder.

"But it's not nothing?" It was half a statement and half a question, and Santana felt her chest tighten again because she was actually talking about this. With someone else. _Deep breath._ She shook her head _no _and looked up at Rachel who was smiling. _Wait, what? Why was she smiling? Shouldn't she look shocked or disgusted or something right now?_ Rachel obviously sensed her confusion because she chuckled softly and continued. "That's why you've been in such a good mood the past few weeks." Santana managed to laugh a little and wiped her eyes again before rolling them at Rachel.

"You don't think it's horrible? Or gross or something?" Santana asked tentatively. Rachel frowned and shook her head.

"Of course not, Santana. I actually think it's kind of great." _Huh?_ Santana eyed her with confusion."I mean, obviously I was a little shocked to walk in and see… _that_, but like I said before, I think it's great that you've found someone you can be so close to and who you can really be yourself around, you know?" Santana nodded and smiled gratefully. _That wasn't so bad. _This conversation was going way better than expected. "Besides, I have two gay dads." She joked and Santana managed a giggle before her eyes widened again when she realised what that implied.

"Hold up. I don't know if I'm… I mean, I can't..." Her heart was now beating a little fast so she took a deep breath. Okay, what was it that was she trying to say? When she'd thought about this question before, she'd always just pushed it to the back of her mind and tried her hardest not to think about it. If she was getting with a random girl, she would pretend like it didn't have to mean _that_. It couldn't mean that. And even the past few weeks with all these feelings for Brittany, she had avoided this one specific question. But Santana realised she couldn't avoid it anymore. She had never felt this way about a guy before, ever, or anyone for that matter. And she couldn't imagine herself feeling like this about anyone else, so yeah, I guess she did kind of know. _Fuck, was she really going to say this? _"Yeah." She gulped. Rachel kept looking at her, searching her features.

"You're…?"

"Yeah. I mean, I think so, yes… I'm... yeah." She sighed. She felt worried and terrified that she'd just admitted that out loud, but also relieved. Like a weight that she'd been carrying around since god knows when had finally been lifted off her. "I… like girls. Actually, no. I like _Brittany._ She's special, Rachel._"_ Rachel nodded and smiled again.

"Yeah, she is." At this, Santana felt the tears beginning to build up again.

"But I'm no good for her. She doesn't… I'm not good enough." She gulped back a sob and took in a deep, shaky breath. Rachel's brow furrowed.

"What? Why would you think that, Santana?" The Latina sighed and shook her head.

"Quinn said it." Rachel's frown grew. "And she was right. Brittany's so sweet and perfect and everything that's right with this miserable, stinking world. And I'm… not." She heard her voice crack a little but was determined not to cry again. "I'm just going to hurt her like I hurt everyone." Even saying those words were painful, but she knew they were true. Everything in her life turned to shit; she pushed everyone she cared about away, and why was this going to be any different?

"No." Santana looked up in surprise because Rachel's voice was so firm. "Don't believe that, Santana. You can't- Quinn's just being… Quinn. You know how she is. She thinks she knows best and she means well, she's just being overprotective. Of Brittany _and _you. She's just… Don't believe that." She said again and Santana sighed once more. Rachel folded one leg underneath her on the sofa so she could face Santana properly. "You are one of, if not _the _strongest person I know. And Brittany sees that. And the way you two are around each other… It's like, you're at your best when you're with her. But not only that, I think she's her best when she's with you, Santana. You need to believe in that." Santana smiled a little. _Was that true? _She did feel like a better person around Brittany. At least she felt like she _wanted _to be a better person. _But could she be?_ She wanted to, so badly.

"I want to… I just don't know if I can." She probably wasn't making sense but she was so confused and just _tired._

"Santana. I've never seen you as happy as you are when you're around Brittany. And I see how happy she is when she's with you too. You may not think you're good enough, but she does. Doesn't she deserve to make up her own mind about this?" _Was she right? _Santana suddenly felt an embarrassingly overwhelming surge of affection for her roommate. Rachel was so good at this kind of thing.

"Thank you." Santana sniffled and managed a small smile. She took a deep breath and pulled a surprised Rachel in for a tight hug.

"We're kinda friends, huh?" Rachel said with smile as they broke apart. Santana rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin.

"Kinda." Santana rolled her eyes playfully. "But if anyone asks, I will absolutely deny it." She added with a mock glare and Rachel chuckled.

"Fair enough. Now, what are we going to do about you and Brittany?" Santana's smile faded.

"I don't know… I think I may have really fucked things up." _Would Brittany forgive her? _This was the second time Santana had told her that what they had didn't mean anything, of course the first time was a while ago and so much had happened since then, but still. She didn't mean it. It _wasn't _nothing, it wasn't anywhere close to nothing. But could she fix it?

"No. We need to stay positive!" Rachel chimed and jumped up from her seat. "I know something you can do which may help!" Santana laughed and rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm. She was feeling loads better and was glad the mood had lightened a little.

"If you want me to write this all down in a journal or in some tragic Facebook status like you love to do so much, then you can forget it, Berry. I almost want to change my profile name to _Nobody_, just so when I like another one of your annoyingly emotional statuses, it will say _Nobody likes this._" Santana smirked and Rachel seemed to get the joke, chuckling and shaking her head.

"No, no. Nothing like that. Although I don't see what's wrong with my statuses… It helps me get things off my chest and I like to let my friends know what's going on and- anyway, this is beside the point. I have an idea."

**…**

Santana leant against the passenger door of her car and looked up at the apartment building in front of her. She'd been waiting for about 10 minutes and her mind was going crazy with too many thoughts. _Was she going to show up? What was she going to say? Would she even speak to her? _She fiddled nervously with her car keys and looked at the ground. Taking a few long, deep breaths, she tried to compose herself. She needed to do this right. This had to be perfect.

Her heart jolted when she heard the door open and close. Santana looked up to see Brittany walk a few steps and then stop. The blonde looked at her with a confused expression on her face. Santana took a step forward.

"Hey." It was all Santana could think to say right now. She smiled but Brittany didn't smile back, just furrowed her brow and crossed her arms.

"I thought I was meeting Rachel." She was glancing around as if to make sure Rachel definitely wasn't there.

"Yeah… We kind of tricked you. Sorry." Santana searched Brittany's features, thinking maybe she spotted the tiniest hint of a smile. "I just… I didn't think you'd come otherwise and I had to see you. I needed to- Britt, I'm so sorry." She took another small step towards Brittany.

"Santana. You know I always want to see you, but… What you said…" She still wasn't smiling, but her voice was soft. She opened her mouth to speak again, but nothing came out, so Santana took one more step up onto the pavement.

"I know, Britt." She did know. She could imagine exactly how Brittany must be feeling right now, and that's why it was so important that she got this right. "Will you come for a ride with me?" Santana's voice was quiet and she searched Brittany's face again. Brittany glanced at her car and then back to Santana. She bit her lip, obviously weighing up the options. "_Please."_ It wasn't desperate, just… hopeful. She needed Brittany to come with her. She needed to show her something and to tell her so much more. She let out a small sigh of relief when Brittany's face softened ever so slightly and she unfolded her arms. That was enough. Santana turned and opened the passenger door, waiting patiently as Brittany walked tentatively over to the car and got in. _Phew._ She rounded the car and got into the driver's seat, before taking a quick glance at Brittany and turning on the ignition. As they pulled out, Brittany didn't look at her, instead just staring out the window.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked in a tiny voice which made Santana's stomach clench. She sounded so small and sad and she never wanted her to sound like that again.

"I need to show you something. And… explain things." Brittany still wasn't looking at her, but she figured she needed a little more time and she just hoped once they got there she could get everything out and make everything okay. "It's about a half an hour drive. But it'll be worth it, I promise." She hoped more than anything that this was true. Brittany simply nodded and they both stayed quiet for the rest of the journey. That was okay. Santana wanted to give her some space and let her think. She also needed time to think herself, to plan what she was going to say because she needed to say everything right.

**…**

A while later, after the city had disappeared behind them, from large buildings and busy streets, into housing estates and slightly quieter ones, and eventually into trees and countryside, Santana pulled over onto a little dirt track. She stopped the engine and got out of the car, turning to Brittany and offering her most reassuring smile to let her know that she could do the same. She then pulled out a basket from the back seat before leading Brittany over some grass and through a few scattered trees. Santana smiled and felt herself relax as they emerged into a clearing and saw the vast lake expanding in front of them. It was beautiful. She stole a glance at Brittany, who was clearly thinking the same thing because her eyes were wide and a small smile was stretching at her lips. _Thank god. _She'd missed that smile.

"I haven't been here in ages." Santana mused as she led Brittany over to the bank and set the wicker basket down on the cool grass. Brittany stood silently and watched Santana as she opened the basket and pulled out a blue picnic blanket, laying it out on the ground beneath them. Santana sat down and motioned for Brittany to do the same, which she did cautiously. They sat there for a few moments in silence, looking out at the beautiful lake and taking it all in. It may have been October, but it was still just about warm enough and the late afternoon sun was bouncing off the water in an almost magical way. "I come here to think sometimes." She began slowly, not really knowing where else to start. "It reminds me of the one back in Lima." She glanced over at Brittany, who was now looking at her, her blue eyes searching her own. "Do you remember?" Brittany nodded and a tiny smile tugged at her lips. Santana turned back to the water and took a deep breath. "We spent so much time there, me and you. Almost every day during the summers, just sitting and talking about everything and nothing." _God, she hadn't talked about this in so long. _It seemed like a whole other life ago. But then somehow at the same time, sitting right here on this picnic blanket across from her best friend, it felt like they were back in Lima and no time had passed. She felt her heart swell with emotion and gulped hard because she was not going to cry again. She needed to get this out. "I love it here. It reminds me of everything back then, and everything that I…" _Everything that she had? Or lost? Or might never get back? _She trailed off with a sigh. Brittany seemed to sense her difficulty because now it was her who spoke.

"I remember it so well." Santana turned to look at her and felt herself smile. "I remember our fancy picnics that we made, and going swimming even when the water was freezing, and I remember how I'd always force you to sing to me." This time Brittany smiled and Santana's insides warmed at the memory. Even when Brittany was feeling so sad, she could say exactly the right thing.

"Do you remember the day you told me you were leaving?" Brittany's smile faded a little and her eyes softened as she nodded slowly. Santana took another deep breath because this was the hard part. "I remember you looking at me… and saying you were moving away. And I remember how my whole world fell apart right then. Even though we were so young, I was losing my best friend… but it was so much more than that, you know?" Brittany nodded because she did know. Santana knew she did. She was the only other person that had ever really understood how that felt. Santana looked back over the lake and fought down the lump in her throat before continuing. "Everything just turned to shit after that. My dad left a couple of weeks later…" Brittany reached across the blanket and took Santana's hand gently in her own. _How was she being so sweet when Santana was the one who had ruined everything?_

"Was that why you stopped calling?" Brittany asked in a quiet voice. Santana felt a stab of guilt as she nodded. They had spoken on the phone almost every night for weeks after Brittany had moved to New York, but then Santana had just stopped. She couldn't face it anymore. "I'm sorry. If I'd known…"

"No, Britt. It's not your fault." Santana said firmly and turned to face the blonde because she needed her to know that it wasn't. None of this was. "_I'm _sorry. I just… it was too hard. Speaking to you just reminded me of how great my life _was, _and how much I'd lost.I was just so angry, and sad and… bitter about everything – life, the world, I don't know. It just all seemed so unfair. So I just closed myself off from everyone. Even Quinn. It was just… easier." She could feel her eyes glossing over and felt a silent tear falling over her cheek. Brittany just squeezed her hand tighter and stayed quiet, giving her the time she needed to continue. "…And I guess that's why I freaked out so much earlier… with Rachel." She winced at the memory. "I just- I was so scared, Britt." Brittany scooted herself closer to Santana on the blanket and took both her hands in her own. Santana felt her whole body melt as Brittany looked at her with such concern and affection.

"I know, Santana. It's okay." But Santana shook her head and wiped another tiny tear that had escaped from the corner of her eye.

"No, it's not okay. I don't _want _to be scared anymore. I want…" _What did she want?_

"I'm scared too." Santana brought her gaze up to meet Brittany's because she hadn't expected her to say that. She always seemed so calm and cool about everything. For some reason it kind of helped to know she wasn't the only one that felt like this.

"Yeah?" Brittany nodded and smiled sweetly, still squeezing her hands tightly around Santana's.

"But you know what? I think that's okay… Because, it's _us._" At that Santana's heart felt like it might pop – in a good way – and another tear fell down her cheek, but this time a happy one, because she didn't think Brittany could have said something more perfect just then. It was exactly what she needed to hear and exactly how she had been feeling, and she didn't even know it. She knew now, she knew what she wanted.

"Britt, I… I want _you."_ Brittany's face broke into a smile. One of those smiles which just lit up the whole of someone's face and Santana couldn't help but grin back because this was all so perfect.

"Santana, you have me. I think you kind of always did." Santana smiled wide again and felt her entire body warm. She hadn't realised how much she wanted to hear those words, how much she needed to, but they were perfect. Brittany released one of her hands from Santana's and lifted it to wipe a few tears from the Latina's cheek. She then pulled her in gently and pressed their lips together. Santana smiled into the kiss and brought her hand up to rest on Brittany's neck. Her whole body melted as their lips moved together in the softest and sweetest kiss Santana had ever experienced. She wasn't sure how long they kissed for, but Santana was sure she could have stayed there forever. It wasn't rushed or heated, it was filled with so much emotion and so many words, and so much _love._ Santana hummed contentedly as Brittany took her bottom lip in her own and sucked gently, before pulling away slowly. Although she didn't want that perfect kiss to end, as she opened her eyes she was met with the most beautiful sight in the world. Brittany was smiling from ear to ear, her eyes were glinting the deepest blue and were staring back at her with such affection.

"Hi." Brittany whispered and stroked Santana's cheek with the back of her hand. Santana almost couldn't answer. She felt so entirely lost under Brittany's gaze and in the magic of this moment.

"Hey." She managed to breath out, taking Brittany's hand from her cheek and pressing her lips to her palm. Brittany smiled wider and rearranged herself so that she was sitting up cross-legged, facing Santana.

"What's in the basket?" Santana pulled herself out of her haze and followed Brittany's eyes over to the wicker picnic basket that was sitting next to her on the blanket. _Oh right._ She mirrored Brittany's cross-legged position and made sure she was comfortable before dragging the basket over to them.

"Well," She began, feeling a little blush creep over her cheeks. "I wanted this to be perfect and super romantic… so I brought us a picnic." Santana would have felt embarrassed at the cheesiness of all this, but the look on Brittany's face made her not give a fuck. "A proper one, like we used to have." Brittany was now grinning and clapping her hands in excitement. Santana felt a little smug as she opened the lid and brought out various plastic pots filled with delicious things. Rachel had been great in helping her prepare it all. Santana chuckled as Brittany's eyes widened in amazement. "It's got all the stuff we used to put in ours." She continued as she began opening the different containers. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Doritos, Oreos. I even got some breadsticks - they're no _Breadstix _breadsticks, but they'll do." Brittany giggled as Santana handed her a breadstick. "And, since this is a grown up picnic, I brought champagne as well." Santana winked and Brittany giggled again. After she'd set down the last of the food, Brittany reached out for her hand again and took it in both her own.

"This is so sweet, Santana. Seriously. No one's ever done anything like this for me before." Santana's heart swelled and she could feel the enormous smile spreading across her face. She was so glad she'd done something right. Even if it meant she would have to be kind of nice to Rachel from now on. For a little while anyway. Brittany leaned in and kissed her once more. It was only short, but it still sent tingles all over Santana's body. They broke apart and grinned at each other. "Let's eat, this looks freaking insane."

**…**

They were officially full. Santana wasn't sure quite why she'd brought so much food, but they'd managed to stuff it all down. They'd also popped open the champagne – Santana had only had a small glass since she was driving – and now they were lying, watching the sun which was just setting. It really was beautiful here. Brittany's hand was stroking soft lines up and down Santana's arm, right from her wrist all the way up to her shoulder and back down.

"I love it when you do that." Santana spoke into the peaceful silence. "You used to do it when we were kids. I always loved it." She turned her head to see Brittany lying on her side, beaming up at her. "I didn't even realise how much I missed it until now. Is that possible? To miss something without realising?" Santana turned on her side too, and took Brittany's other hand and began fiddling with her fingers.

"I think it is." Brittany replied softly. "Like, with you. I knew that I missed you all this time, but I never really realised just how much until I saw you again, you know? And then it was like, how did I ever survive without this?" Santana smiled and nodded. Brittany continued to trace her finger up and down the bare skin of her arm and Santana sighed happily.

"Britt, can I ask you something?" The thought suddenly slipped into Santana's mind and she didn't really mean to say anything, but everything just felt so calm and safe right now. She felt like she could talk about anything she wanted, and everything would be okay. Brittany smiled and nodded, lifting her gaze from her hand's movements up to meet Santana's. "How come you left Julliard?" Brittany's brow furrowed slightly, not in a bad way, just like she was thinking maybe. "I mean, you don't have to answer. But you never bring it up and I was just wondering if something happened? It's probably nothing… I just… I want to know everything about you and it might help for you to talk about it, so… I'll listen if you want me too." Santana knew she was rambling a bit, but she didn't want Brittany to feel uncomfortable. She wanted her to know she could tell her anything. Brittany looked away for a second, but didn't stop stroking up and down Santana's arm. She took a deep breath and then returned her eyes to look at Santana.

"I guess I just never really talk about it because I don't like thinking about it. I mean, it's not that big of a deal… I was super excited when I got the scholarship, but when I got there… I don't know, it just wasn't how I'd imagined. My classmates weren't like how I thought they were going to be. Actually, they were kind of mean." Brittany's nose scrunched up and Santana felt her heart break a little bit because _how the hell could anyone be mean to Brittany?_ "They would say I was stupid and make fun of me when I zoned out in class, which I guess I do kind of a lot. But anyway, there were a few girls who were especially mean and some stuff happened and so I just moved." She shrugged her shoulders and forced a little smile as if to say it was nothing.

"Britt." Santana said softly and brushed the back of her hand over her cheek. She hated the idea of people making Brittany feeling like that.

"It's okay though, because I love NYADA. My classes are great and everyone's super nice. So it's cool." She shrugged again. Santana scooted a little closer and lifted Brittany's face slightly so that she was looking at her again.

"Britt." She said again. She felt a sudden wave of protectiveness. "Don't ever let anyone tell you you're stupid okay? Because you're not. Don't ever let anyone make you feel like that. And if they do, you tell me. Got it?" Brittany nodded and Santana leaned in and closed the small distance between them with a light kiss. She heard Brittany exhale and felt her body relax.

"Thanks, Santana. You always knew how to make me all better." Santana smiled and though she didn't really know what she'd done, she loved the thought that she was able to do this for her. They settled back into a comfortable silence and Santana sighed as Brittany began stroking a finger softly over her face, as if studying and memorising her features. She giggled as Brittany's finger bopped her on the nose and then inhaled sharply as it ghosted her lips with the lightest of touches. "Can I ask _you_ something now?" Brittany asked in a quiet voice, her eyes glued to Santana's lips. She nodded. "Did you mean what you said before?" _What had she said before? _So many things had been said today. She could be talking about any one of them. Santana kissed the finger that was still resting on her lips and watched Brittany smile.

"About what?" Santana asked softly as she took Brittany's hand that was held up to her face and interlinked their fingers together.

"About being… _ready_." Santana's breath caught somewhere at the back of her throat and her heart began to beat really fast. She'd almost forgotten about that, what with all the drama of what happened immediately afterwards. It scared her, of course it did, because this was _Brittany, _and this was special. But she was ready, she knew she was. She wanted it so badly, but more importantly she wanted _her _so badly. Santana gazed the blonde for a second and caught her breath again. She couldn't help but think just how incredible she was right now, the orange light from the quickly disappearing sun glowing on her face and the cool autumn breeze flowing ever so gently through her wavy hair. Santana squeezed the hand she had interlinked with her own, looked deep into those blue eyes and smiled.

"I really meant it." She said softly and her heart fluttered a little as Brittany's lips curved into a gorgeous smile. "I want you, Britt. I want all of you." Santana pressed her lips softly against Brittany's once more before pulling away and watching Brittany's lips curve up into a large grin.

"Take me home, baby."

**…**


	14. Sex Machine

Prepare yourselves...

And keep the reviews coming please!

Chapter 14:

"So… was this a date?" Brittany asked in an adorably shy voice as the two girls made their way into Santana's apartment. Santana turned and smiled at the blonde who was blushing slightly and looking nervously at the floor.

"Of course it was, Britt-Britt." She grinned harder as she watched Brittany's lips curve into a smile. "I brought a freaking picnic didn't I?" Brittany let out a cute little giggle as she followed Santana over to the kitchen area. Santana was beginning to wonder where the others were and why the house was so quiet when she noticed a pink post-it note on the island as she set her keys down.

_Kurt and I are staying the night at Tina's. I thought you'd appreciate some peace and quiet. Hope everything worked out okay. See you tomorrow. Rachel J x_

Okay, she definitely owed Berry now. She peeled off the note, rolling her eyes and chuckling at the gold star stuck on in the corner, and showed it to Brittany. Her brow furrowed adorably as she read the swirly handwriting and then her face softened into an enormous smile.

"So we're all by ourselves?" Brittany asked through her grin and Santana nodded, taking her hand and leading her over to the sofa.

"Sure are." She was smiling too, she couldn't help it. It was just something about today. It had been exhausting sure, what with starting out so wonderfully with Brittany in her bed and then making out on the couch, and then the whole drama with Rachel had been awful and terrifying, but then it had ended so perfectly with their trip to the lake. She'd opened up to her so much, more than she had done with anyone else, even herself. She'd said all the things she'd wanted to say, and then she'd said that she wanted Brittany. And Brittany said that she had her. That thought made Santana's insides warm and tingle. They sat down and faced each other on the couch and Brittany interlaced their fingers together.

"So… Rachel knows?" Brittany asked tentatively and Santana glanced up from their joined hands to look into blue eyes searching her own.

"Yeah. She, uh… she knows." Santana said after a deep breath before smiling as Brittany began stroking her thumbs gently over the back of her hands.

"Is that okay?" Her voice was soft and caring and Santana smiled wider because she actually felt like it kind of was okay. She nodded.

"I think so, yeah. I mean, I don't know if I'm ready for _everyone _to find out about… us, just yet. But, I think it's okay that someone knows… I'm okay. I just… I want a little more time for us to figure this all out and to know what this means and..." Santana was rambling and her heart was beating a little faster because this was still all so new to her and it scared her a little. The thought of Quinn finding out especially scared her, but she wasn't really sure why. Brittany smiled sweetly so she continued. "But I want to, Britt. We will tell them, just… when we're ready. Is that okay?" Brittany's smile curved even further and she pulled one of Santana's hands up to press it against her lips before giggling. "What?" She asked through a smile as she eyed the blonde.

"Nothing, it's just… You said _us."_ Santana's heart melted - _how cute was she right now?_ She grinned because she realised she hadn't even thought about the fact that she'd used that word. It just felt so right. She rolled her eyes and Brittany smiled more before squeezing her hand comfortingly. "I know the thought of other people knowing is hard and confusing, but I don't want things between _us _to be confusing, Santana. That should never be confusing." Santana felt herself relax and this time she pressed a kiss to Brittany's hand because her words helped so much. "I'll text Quinn and tell her I'm staying at Sam's." Brittany removed one of her hands from Santana's, pulled her phone out of her pocket and began tapping away at the screen. Santana's body tensed at the mention of Sam's name. She'd almost forgotten about that; it seemed so long ago now and so much had happened since then that she'd hardly thought about it. She remembered the insane surge of jealousy that had flooded through her when she'd seen them together at Lola's and how she'd just felt so… angry. Santana took a deep breath and tried to cool the same heat that was now trying to fight its way through her body. _Brittany had said she wanted her. She said she was hers, not Sam's._ Her curiosity got the better of her though as she felt words falling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"I don't like Sam." She blurted. Brittany stilled her fingers tapping at her phone and looked up at her, cocking her head and searching her features. "I just… I don't like the way he looks at you." _Should she be saying this?_ She wasn't sure if she should but she wanted to know, she wanted to say something.

"Santana." Brittany said softly, her brows furrowing a little. "Sam's just a friend." She went back to stroking her fingers slowly over Santana's knuckles.

"Have you guys ever…?" Brittany scrunched her nose and shook her head before chuckling softly.

"Ew, no. I would never… we're just friends." Santana felt herself relax a little more and glanced down at their interlinked hands. It was nice to hear that Brittany would never like Sam like that, but she was still sure he had different ideas. He was a guy, and Brittany was hot. And awesome. And the sweetest person ever.

"I think he likes you." She said in a tiny voice that she barely recognised as her own and rolled her eyes at her own shyness. "I just don't want him… I… I don't like the way he looks at you." She repeated because that's all she could really think to say. Brittany smiled a little and shrugged.

"Maybe he does, but I don't care. He's my friend and that's all he'll ever be, I promise. Besides… I'm not into blondes." She winked and Santana managed a giggle. "And anyway, I'm kinda crushing way too hard on someone else right now, so…" Santana felt her body tingle again as she watched a tiny blush appear on Brittany's cheeks. _So goddam cute._

"Yeah?" She asked through an embarrassingly large grin. Brittany nodded and matched her grin.

"And the jealous thing is totally hot on you by the way." She winked and Santana rolled her eyes playfully. "So, what did you say to Rachel?" She locked her eyes on Santana's again and Santana felt her cheeks heat up this time.

"I said…" She began slowly, trying to hide the smile forming at her lips and glanced down nervously to play with Brittany's fingers. "That I like you… And that you're special." She glanced up again to see Brittany beaming widely and continued. "And that what we had wasn't nothing. It could never be nothing, Britt." Santana felt one of Brittany's hands leave her own as it lifted to cup her cheek.

"I kind of feel like it's _everything_." Brittany replied softly, her eyes glued to Santana's as she traced her fingers over her warm cheek. With that Santana felt her heart swell and smiled brightly before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Brittany's lips. She felt Brittany smile against her and pressed harder into the kiss. After everything that had been said today, after all that had happened, this kiss felt a thousand times more incredible. Not that the others hadn't been, because _all _of Brittany's kisses were fucking incredible, but this, right here in this moment, just seemed kind of perfect, and it made her never want it to stop. Brittany seemed to be thinking the same thing because the next thing she knew, Brittany was pushing her tongue into her mouth and Santana couldn't help but let out a little moan. So much tension and anticipation was building up inside of her because earlier she had told her that she was _ready_. Now Brittany knew she wanted this, and Santana was pretty sure it would have happened earlier if Rachel hadn't interrupted them. But now they were alone in the apartment all night, and Santana _knew _it was going to happen. That thought sent a wave of heat down her body and she sucked down hard on Brittany's bottom lip as the heat began to gather between her legs. Brittany let out a quiet whimper which only made the heat more intense so Santana lifted her hand to grip Brittany's neck, pulling her closer and deeper into the kiss.

She couldn't get enough. The kiss had turned from slow and deep to aggressive and heated without her even realising, and Santana's whole body was now tingling with pleasure. The throbbing between her legs became almost unbearable as Brittany pushed her hard down against the sofa, removed her lips from Santana's and began attacking her throat. Santana moaned and tilted her head back against the sofa cushion as Brittany pressed open mouthed kisses along her neck, licking and nibbling a line up towards her jaw, before sucking down hard on her pulse point. _Holy shit. _

_"_Shit_. Fuck _Britt_-"_ Santana gasped but Brittany swallowed the sound with her lips, sucking and nipping before pushing her tongue back in to find Santana's. This time Brittany moaned into her mouth as their tongues brushed against each other and _fuck, Brittany sounded so incredibly turned on right now._ Santana was seriously turned on too – possibly the most she'd ever been - and gasped as she felt Brittany suck gently on her tongue. How was it that they could go from having the world's sweetest conversation, to the hottest make-out session ever, in like two minutes? It had to be Brittany. She just had this amazing ability to be completely adorable _and_ sexy all at the same time. She made a note to ask her later how she managed it.

"I… want you…Santana." Brittany gasped out as she broke away. Santana looked up at the blonde leaning over her and had to bite her lip. _Wow._ She had been right when she'd guessed she was turned on. Brittany's hooded eyes were dark with lust, her lips were red and swollen from kissing and her chest was heaving fast.

"I want you too, Britt… so much." Santana managed to get out in between her staggered breaths. Brittany smiled, or smirked, and placed another kiss on Santana's lips before pulling away again. She giggled at Santana's disappointed pout and sat up, legs either side of Santana's waist, still straddling her.

"Not here though. Let's go to your room. We… want it to be special." She smiled. "And besides, Rachel uses this couch so that would be super creepy." She scrunched up her nose. Santana laughed and nodded. Brittany stood up and reached her hand out for Santana, who followed slowly, her legs a little wobbly. Santana couldn't stop grinning as Brittany dragged her out of the living room and into her bedroom, closing the door behind them. _She couldn't believe this was about to happen. She wanted this so badly._

Santana had barely turned around when Brittany pushed her back up against the door and reconnected their lips. Santana moaned again because even in the last thirty seconds since they'd been in the living room she'd missed her lips. _Was that weird? _She didn't care though because Brittany was now pushing her body right up against hers and sliding her hands through her dark hair. Santana grabbed the back of Brittany's neck and pulled her even closer, before shoving her tongue into her mouth once more. The arousal was now burning inside of her and tugging at her stomach and Brittany's whimper was enough to make her realise just how much she wanted this, how much she needed this, right now.

"Britt. Bed. Now." She gasped in between kisses and she felt Brittany smile against her lips. The blonde dropped her hands from where they were tangling in Santana's hair down her back and grabbed her ass. Another wave of intense heat rushed over Santana. Brittany's hands slid lower before gripping onto her thighs and lifting her up as if she weighed nothing. _Still so hot. _Santana wrapped her legs tight around Brittany's waist and began peppering kisses all over her neck as she was carried over towards her bed. Brittany placed Santana down gently on the bed before standing up and taking a step backwards, all the while keeping her eyes glued to the Latina. Her heart still hammering in her chest and her breathing heavy, Santana leaned up to rest on her elbows. She was about to complain about the sudden lack of contact but caught her breath when she saw the smirk tugging at the blonde's lips.

"Take your shirt off." Brittany said, her lips curving further upwards. Her voice wasn't forceful, it was soft and caring, but Santana loved it when Brittany took control like this. Usually when she hooked up with someone, she liked to be the one in control. It felt _safer _somehow to be the one taking charge of the situation and giving the orders, then she could do what she came for and get the hell out of there. If she was being honest, it was never really about the other person. But this wasn't just a _hook-up_. This was different. Brittany was different. This was about her and about _them._ Santana grinned and lifted her shirt over her head before tossing it somewhere onto the floor. Her heart began to race again though when she watched Brittany's eyes rake over her exposed torso, lingering on her black bra, before lifting to find her own again. Heat rushed over her once again as she saw the blonde's hands move slowly and grip the bottom of her own shirt. The only thing Santana could hear was the heavy pulse in her chest and all she could concentrate on was how it was now pounding between her legs too. As Brittany inched the fabric of her t-shirt tantalisingly slowly up her body, Santana's stomach knotted and she thought back to their game of strip poker; how she hadn't been able to take her eyes off Brittany as she'd done exactly what she was doing now. Only this time they were alone. She could stare as much as she wanted and _touch _as much as she wanted and _holy shit-_

Santana's whole body tightened as Brittany eventually pulled her shirt all the way off and dropped it on the floor, revealing a red bra covering perfect breasts. _Brittany's _breasts. Santana thought she was going to explode when she saw Brittany's fingers tease their way down her now exposed torso and begin undoing the button of her jeans. _Oh my god._ Santana sat up further and kept her gaze fixed on Brittany as she slowly pushed down her jeans and stepped out of them. _Wow._ Santana had seen her in just her underwear before but this was so different. She knew what was going to happen and that thought just made her heart thump even louder and her stomach knot and twist.

Brittany grinned before stepping slowly towards her, her eyes still not leaving Santana. The blonde climbed onto the bed and, on all fours, made her way slowly up to where a wide-eyed and breathless Santana was lying. She hovered over the Latina, her knees either side of Santana's waist and her hands resting either side of her head, and stared down at her. Santana felt her entire body shiver as Brittany placed a hand flat on her bare stomach. The throbbing between her legs only increased and her breath hitched as Brittany moved her hand slowly down so that it was now gripping the waistband of her jeans.

"I'm gonna take these off, okay?" Brittany breathed, her eyes searching Santana's own, and although her voice was low and raspy – _and seriously hot right now – _she still sounded so sweet and caring. Santana smiled and nodded, probably a little too eagerly but so what? Brittany undid the button and tugged down the zip in one swift motion and began pulling down her jeans. Santana lifted herself a little to help before kicking them off the rest of the way. She could hear her heart thumping even louder as she felt Brittany's gaze rake up her almost naked body. She hovered over Santana once again and blue eyes met brown. Santana couldn't think about anything else but the burning desire raging through her and how fucking beautiful Brittany looked right now. Brittany smiled and whispered a small _hey_ before leaning down, brushing their noses together and then reconnecting their lips. This time it didn't start off slow. Santana immediately parted her lips for Brittany's tongue to enter her mouth and she moaned with pleasure as it brushed against her own. It felt incredible. Like, this was the best feeling in the world right now and she didn't want to be anywhere else than right here, with an extremely hot and semi-naked Brittany on top of her. _Did she mention she was semi-naked?_

"Uh, _Britt_-" She gasped as Brittany moved her kisses from her lips over her cheek and down her throat. She gasped again as Brittany's mouth swallowed the skin just below her jaw and sucked hard. That was definitely going to leave a mark. She tried to ignore the stroke she was quite possibly having right now and let her hands trail up Brittany's sides. Santana felt the blonde quiver under her touch and the arousal between her legs only intensified. She was so turned on right now. The feeling of their almost naked bodies pressed together was intoxicating and judging by Brittany's heavy breathing and aggressive kisses to her throat, she was feeling just as turned on as Santana. They were only in their underwear but there was still way too much material in between them. Santana wanted so badly to have Brittany's _fully _naked body pressed against her, and to touch her in places that made her head spin and her arousal throb.

Brittany was obviously thinking the same thing as her lips moved down from Santana's neck, along her collarbone and sucked hard on the curve of Santana's breast just above the lace of her bra. The possibility of a stroke became even more likely as Brittany trailed her hands up Santana's bare stomach and placed them on her bra-covered boobs. She wasn't even moving them yet, just holding them still, but the anticipation was making the throbbing between her thighs almost unbearable.

"_Britt-"_ She breathed but it was more of a whimper and Brittany sat up, straddling Santana's waist, and looked deep into her eyes.

"Can I take this off?" She asked, her hands still resting on Santana's bra. Her voice was husky and so full of sex that all Santana could do was nod eagerly. Brittany giggled before sliding her hands around the Latina's back and unclasping her bra with ease. _Definitely not the first time she'd done that. _Santana's breathing was now so heavy and her head was spinning deliciously. She couldn't remember being this turned on ever. All she could think about as Brittany slowly pulled each bra strap down her shoulder was that soon her hands would be on her boobs. _Brittany's_ hands would be on _her _boobs. Her _boobs. Holy fuck._

Santana wasn't sure why she would feel self-conscious at being so exposed – she'd been naked in front of countless girls and guys – but any nervousness she might have felt was soon replaced with a smug smirk as Brittany tossed her bra onto the floor and gaped. Like, literally _gaped_ at her breasts. Her darkened blue eyes were wide with lust, her mouth was a little open and Santana could see the blonde's chest heaving up and down. Santana nearly let out a moan because she was pretty sure that was the hottest sight _ever_, but Brittany swallowed it with her lips once again.

"You're so… beautiful… Santana." She breathed in between hard kisses and her hands shot up to her breasts. _Holy shit-_

"Oh my god." Santana moaned against the kiss and her hips bucked up involuntarily. She was sure this was the best feeling she had ever experienced; Brittany's hands cupping her boobs and squeezing gently. She was soon corrected, however, when Brittany's thumbs moved to swipe over her rock hard nipples. _Jesus Christ _that felt amazing. Brittany groaned against Santana's lips which made her body rock upwards again because that was definitely the hottest sound anyone had ever made. "You're… _so_ good at that." Santana gasped as they broke for air. Brittany reconnected their lips and kissed Santana hard, while continuing to stroke and pinch her nipples. _Fucking hell._ Santana pushed back against the kiss and shoved her tongue back in, brushing it against the blonde's until she was whimpering into her mouth. Okay, actually _that _was the hottest sound ever. Brittany disconnected their lips and began a trail of soft kisses down her collarbone and Santana had to fight back another loud moan when she realised where she was heading. _Oh my fucking god. _Was it possible for her to pass out right now? A wave of heat flared through her body as Brittany's mouth reached her boob, continuing its trail of soft kisses over it, and her hips bucked again in pleasure as she felt her tongue poke out and flick gently across her hard nipple.

"Fuck, _Britt-"_ She groaned and moved her hand from the bare skin of Brittany's back to grip onto blonde hair. Brittany looked up at her and smirked, before wrapping her lips around her left nipple and sucking, all the while holding her gaze. _Holy shit this was so hot, and even hotter to actually watch it happening. _She knew this wouldn't be an image she'd be forgetting any time soon. As Brittany's tongue flicked over her rock hard nipple Santana let out another strangled gasp. She could tell she was already so wet, and that was just from Brittany touching her boobs. She shuddered with pleasure when she thought about how it would feel when Brittany touched her in other places. Santana's head fell back against the pillow and another moan left her lips as Brittany sucked again and released the nipple with a wet pop. Her mouth moved over to Santana's other breast and she had to pinch her thighs together in an attempt to force down the growing arousal. She was right, she was so wet. She could feel it. Brittany's tongue darted out again and Santana gripped the blonde's waist, digging her nails in slightly as her tongue traced soft circles around her nipple. Brittany swallowed it in a kiss before ever so lightly grazing it with her teeth, causing Santana's hips to jerk upwards once again. Just when she thought she might be close to orgasming right there and then – _was that even possible from someone just touching your boobs?_ - Brittany's lips returned to her own, pressing into her with another deep kiss. Her hands continued to massage her breasts, her fingers pinching and rubbing her nipples where her tongue had just been and whimpering into Santana's mouth. Santana was sure she couldn't take it anymore – heat was flaring over her body and arousal was tugging and pulling and building up so much in her stomach that she thought she might explode.

"Britt-" She said against the kiss and pulled back slightly, disconnecting their lips. Brittany leaned and rested her forehead on Santana's, panting. "I want you… I'm so wet for you, baby." Santana managed to get out in between staggered breaths. She could barely hear herself above her pounding heart. She wrapped her hand around Brittany's neck and pulled her in for a soft, sweet kiss. Brittany smiled and nodded against her lips, brushed her tongue gently over Santana's, before leaning back and sitting up between Santana's legs. Santana's entire body tightened as she looked up to see Brittany's eyes fixed on her underwear. She could almost feel her gaze burning through the black lace and watched as the blonde slowly lifted her hands and hooked her fingers under the waistband. _Holy fuck. _Brittany glanced up to look at her and Santana nodded in consent. She couldn't release her gaze from Brittany as she smiled, licked her lips and began slowly dragging her probably soaked underwear over her thighs, down her calves and eventually tossing them onto the floor. Santana's chest was pounding and she could feel her centre throbbing as Brittany's hooded eyes bore into it. Before she could think about how insanely hot it was watching Brittany's hungry stare on her like that, Brittany had crawled back on top of her and was attacking her lips again. She couldn't even begin to describe the sensation of being completely naked and having Brittany on top of her and kissing her. It was fucking amazing. She felt another wave of heat as Brittany's left hand returned to her boob, less gentle with its movements this time, and began grabbing and kneading wildly. She bucked up into her again and felt a jolt of pleasure as her exposed heat rocked into Brittany's hip. Santana moaned and she felt Brittany whimper into the kiss. Santana's stomach flipped as she felt Brittany's other hand slide down over her stomach, lower and lower and _fuck she was so close. _

Suddenly Santana broke away from Brittany's lips and shot her hand down to stop Brittany's that had been inching towards her centre. _Why had she just done that?_

"Santana?" Brittany found her gaze and studied her. Santana froze and pinched her eyes shut tight, her heart pounding as she desperately tried to calm her breathing. "Are you okay?" _Shit shit shit. _Why was she freezing up? She wanted this. This was all she wanted. _Brittany _was all she wanted. She was special, and this was going to be special. Then she realised that's why she was freaking out. It wasn't about the sex part, she was good at that; it was the rest of it. She hadn't ever had sex that actually meant something beyond her own satisfaction. This was so much more than that, and it terrified her.

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered, her voice shaking and her eyes still glued shut. Brittany removed her hand from Santana's tight grasp and lifted it to stroke over the Latina's hot cheek. Santana felt herself relax a little and opened her eyes to see Brittany staring down at her lovingly. It was such a caring and warm look and it made Santana feel tiny bit safer. "I just… I w-want this to be… I don't want to mess it up." She stammered, her chest still heaving and Brittany smiled sweetly.

"Not possible." Brittany replied and it made Santana match her smile. "I have never felt this way about anyone, Santana. I know this is right." She continued to stroke her hand softly over Santana's cheek. "It's _us._" Santana felt her body relax and nodded slowly. "But we can stop if you want?" _No._

"No!" She practically shouted and Brittany couldn't help but giggle. "No, Britt. I just… I've never been with someone… like _this_ before. It's usually just sex. And I don't want it to be _just _sex with you." Brittany nodded because she understood.

"It's not, I promise. This means so much, Santana." Santana felt herself relax into a smile. "And you look super hot by the way." Brittany added with a smirk and Santana felt her cheeks flush. Her breathing was a little more normal now, but her heart was still beating fast and the throbbing between her legs hadn't gone away. She placed her hand on Brittany's neck and connected their lips again. Brittany smiled against her and sighed into her mouth and Santana felt her body heat up once again. Brittany was right. This wasn't scary, it was _them._ Their tongues brushed together and Santana took Brittany's bottom lip in her own and sucked down, releasing a whimper from the blonde. Brittany's hand restarted its massaging of her boob and Santana felt the heat once again gathering between her legs. Brittany pinched her nipple, sending a shock of pleasure through her and forcing her hips up as before. _Holy shit._

After fumbling and finding Brittany's other hand, Santana began to guide in down towards her centre which she knew was already soaked and ready for her. She didn't think she'd ever been this ready for someone before. Her stomach muscles quivered as Brittany's fingers stroked over them and Santana shot her hand up to grip her hair again. The pounding between her legs was growing and growing as Brittany's touch inched lower towards it. Brittany paused her movements and pulled away from Santana's lips to look deep into her eyes. "Is this okay?" Her voice was breathy and low and she sounded so turned on that Santana's heat began to throb even more. She nodded violently and Brittany leaned forward to rest her forehead on Santana's like she had done before. Her left hand continued to pinch and stroke at her nipple, sending jolts of pleasure through her, and her other hand slid lower and lower until -

_Holy fuck._

Santana's breath caught in her throat as Brittany's hand cupped over her centre and pressed down gently. Santana found her lips again and kissed her hard, only to have to break away again to moan as Brittany's fingers finally parted her wet folds. Her eyes closed and her head fell back against the pillow and her entire body shuddered as Brittany slid her fingers through her wetness. Her hips bucked once again when Brittany's fingers slipped higher to find her sensitive part and pressed down harder.

"Fucking- oh my god, _Britt-"_ She groaned and gripped Brittany's neck hard. Probably a little too hard but she didn't care right now because the way Brittany was now tracing circles over _that spot _made her body tingle with pleasure and her hips roll up again. Brittany's other hand stayed massaging her breast and she moved her head to lick and suck at Santana's neck, while her fingers continued their magical movements inside of her. _Magical _was the only way to describe the way her fingers were rubbing and circling that spot, pressing down occasionally and eliciting gasps and moans from Santana's lips. She was fucking glad the others weren't home right now because she didn't think she'd be able to stay quiet if she tried.

"Uh- you feel _so _good, Santana." Brittany mumbled into the crook of her neck as her fingers continued to slip and slide through her. Santana caught her breath at how incredible sexy Brittany sounded right then, and at how extremely intimate this moment was. She had never felt this close to anyone, ever. Her body rocked involuntarily upwards again as Brittany's fingers inched down and circled her entrance.

"_God, _Brittany- please, I-" She wanted her inside of her so badly. Her mind was spinning and she moaned again as Brittany's fingers traced over her entrance once more. The blonde sucked down had on her neck before lifting her head so that she was now hovering over Santana, propping herself up with her elbow.

"Say it, Santana. Tell… tell me what you want." She said breathlessly and Santana's body flared with heat again. She loved hearing Brittany talk like this. "Tell me." She said again and Santana felt her warm breath over her lips. _Holy mother of god._

"I… I- want you… inside of me." She gasped out and her hips jolted up again as Brittany moaned. Like, seriously the sexiest fucking moan Santana had ever heard. She loved that she was the one making Brittany like this. "God, Britt, I want to feel you inside of me… _so _badly." At this Brittany moaned again and pushed her finger inside Santana. _Oh my fucking god._ Santana gasped and squeezed her eyes shut even tighter as her whole body filled with pleasure. Brittany drew out her finger only to push back inside her with two and all Santana could do was gasp out her name. She gripped Brittany's shoulder harder and rocked up into her thrusts. Brittany continued to pump in and out of her and the pressure was building and building in her stomach to the point when Santana thought she might explode.

"San-tana." Brittany moaned, her breath hitting the Latina's lips again. Her fingers continued their thrusts as she said her name again. "_Santana. _Open… your eyes. I want to look at you when you come for me." Usually Santana had a strict no eye-contact policy whilst hooking-up with people, but _holy hell those were like the hottest words ever. _Plus, this was _Brittany. _She wanted to give her anything and everything. Her hips jerked upwards unconsciously again and she shot her eyes open to bore into darkened, lust-filled blue ones. _Oh god._

Brittany smirked before quickening her movements and Santana felt her body tensing and writhing with pleasure. Her breathing was now out of control and all she could think and feel was Brittany. She felt her legs start to shake and another jolt upwards as Brittany's fingers curved deliciously inside of her. _Holy fuck._

"Oh my- _god, _Britt!Right… yes- _there!"_ Brittany's fingers curled again and Santana held her gaze on blue eyes as her breath stopped, her body shook and trembled before freezing entirely as a wave of pleasure consumed her. "Fuck, don't stop, _please _don't- _uh!_" Brittany's rhythmic thrusting continued and her thumb moved up to rub over her sensitive spot as Santana tumbled over the edge.

_Oh. My. Fucking. God._

Brittany's movements slowed until she was just tracing soft circles over that spot and she guided Santana down from her high. Her body still trembling with aftershocks of pleasure, Santana let out a long breath and smiled, wrapping her arms around Brittany, who removed her hand from her now very sensitive centre and sunk down on top of her. "Oh my god, Britt… That was just…" She sighed, stroking a hand through blond hair.

"I know." Brittany lifted her head from Santana's chest and smiled lazily before leaning down and pressing her lips onto the Latina's. Santana hummed contentedly and sunk into the kiss as she recovered from what was definitely _the_ best orgasm of her life. She smiled against Brittany's lips as she slipped her tongue into her mouth and heard a whimper. Brittany rolled herself gently down into Santana and another wave of pleasure rushed through her as the Brittany's hip pressed down onto her heat. Suddenly her heart rate picked back up and she pushed up harder against the kiss, swallowing another whimper from the blonde. Santana wanted to give Brittany everything she'd just given her and more. She was going to make her feel as incredible as she had just done, if that was even possible.

In a quick movement which surprised Brittany, Santana flipped them so that she was now on top. She looked down at the blonde now underneath her at her mercy and smirked, before crashing their lips together once more. Brittany moaned and shot her hands up to Santana's neck, over her shoulders, down her arms and then began grabbing at squeezing at her breasts again. _Fuck that felt amazing._ She then realised that she was fully naked and Brittany was still way too covered up for her liking. She broke from the kiss, smirking at the whine of protest that left Brittany lips, and sat up. She smiled smugly for a moment as Brittany took in the sight of an entirely naked Santana straddling her waist. Her hooded eyes, dark with want, roamed her body; they trailed up her bare thighs, over her exposed heat and lingered on her heaving chest. Santana almost gave in and leaned in and kissed her again when she saw Brittany lick her lips – _so fucking hot – _but she fought down her own arousal which was still surging through her and remained still.

"Take off your bra." Santana said with her most seductive smile, her eyes not leaving their fixed gaze on Brittany's. Her friend obeyed immediately, reaching behind to undo the clasp and throwing her lace bra onto the floor. Santana's eyes went wide and she forgot how to breathe for a second as she took in the sight of Brittany's perfect breasts below her. _Holy fuck. _This time Brittany smirked at her gaping and her hands lifted to rest on Santana's thighs.

"You like?" Brittany breathed, her smirk growing and all Santana could do was nod hungrily. Her heart was hammering and her chest was heaving as she moved her hands, now trembling with anticipation, over Brittany's exposed stomach. She heard Brittany's breathing quicken as she reached the underneath of her boobs, which only sent arousal burning through her quicker as she watched Brittany's exposed chest heave up and down. _Okay, best. Sight. Ever._ Santana's own breath caught in her throat as her hands slid up to cup the curves of Brittany's breasts. The blonde's mouth fell open and her eyes flickered shut as Santana began to squeeze and rub just as Brittany had done. Her thumbs swiped across two rock hard nipples and Brittany's entire body bucked upwards into her, sending another wave of pleasure through her and causing her to rub and pinch harder.

"Fuck, that feels… so… good." Brittany breathed out and Santana's stomach flipped at how ridiculously hot she sounded right now. She didn't think she'd ever heard her swear, but _holy shit_ it sounded good on her. Brittany's eyes still shut tight, Santana used the opportunity to lean down and wrap her lips around one of her nipples. Brittany wasn't expecting it and gasped loudly, her hand shooting up to hold Santana's head in place. Santana sucked gently, producing loud, guttural moans from the blonde, which only spurred her on more. She darted her tongue out and flicked it over her hard nipple, causing Brittany's hand to tighten its grip on her hair. Santana trailed her mouth over to Brittany's other breast, taking her other nipple and swallowing her lips around it. The blonde rocked herself up into Santana before pulling her head up and crashing their lips together. Santana melted into the kiss and immediately found Brittany's tongue. They sighed and hummed into each other's mouths before Santana tore her lips away and began pressing hard, wet kiss down Brittany's neck. The blonde tilted her head back, allowing the Latina more access as she nipped and sucked at her skin. She trailed her kisses further down, over her collarbone, down in between her breasts and over her toned abs. Santana's breath hitched and she felt Brittany's stomach quivering under her lips as she reached the area just above the hem of her underwear. Santana placed a final kiss on her navel before sitting up and hooking her fingers under the waistband of blue lace panties. She glanced up to see Brittany's hungry stare, and her nodding for Santana to continue.

She tried once again to push down her own burning arousal as she slowly slipped Brittany's underwear over her legs and let it fall onto the floor. _Holy shit._ Santana gulped and let her gaze roam up Brittany's entirely naked body and couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. She crawled back up Brittany's body and rested herself on top of her, her chest pounding at the sensation of their fully naked body's pressed against each other. "You're so gorgeous, Britt-Britt." She whispered before leaning down and kissing her gently. Brittany smiled against her lips and Santana began trailing her hand down her naked body, shuddering as she felt Brittany tensing under her touch. Brittany's breathing became quicker and heavier as Santana's hand neared her centre. She let her touch tease Brittany for a little longer, as she stroked a finger lightly over her navel, further down, and then back up, all the while feeling Brittany quivering under her.

"_Please. _Oh god- please." Brittany mumbled against her lips and Santana smirked. Eventually, she decided she'd teased enough, and let her fingers trail down towards where she could already feel heat radiating from. Santana tried not to have a heart attack as her fingers finally found their way to Brittany's centre and parted her wet folds because _holy shit, _Brittany was so wet. Like, _really _wet, and Santana couldn't help the moan which escaped her mouth as Brittany gasped and jerked upwards again. Santana found her sensitive spot and Brittany broke away from her lips to moan. She rested her head in the crook of Santana's neck and gripped her shoulders tightly. Santana thought this was probably the best feeling ever having her fingers slipping up and down through Brittany's wetness, circling and pressing down whenever she reached that spot that made Brittany writhe and squirm below her. She could hear Brittany getting more and more worked up, her breathing becoming shallower and her racing pulse now audible as Santana continued to drag her fingers through her. All she could think about was how amazing Brittany felt and how much she wanted to be inside of her just like she had been moments ago. A low whine of Santana's name was all the convincing she needed to push two fingers hard into Brittany's soaked entrance. The blonde let out another high-pitched moan and gripped Santana harder. Her whole body rolled upwards in the hottest way imaginable to meet Santana's thrusts and she could tell Brittany was close as she felt her walls tighten around her fingers. She moved her thumb to rub over her sensitive mound as she twisted the fingers inside of her, just as Brittany had done to her.

"Oh, _god-"_ Brittany groaned. Her walls tightened harder around Santana's fingers, so she repeated the motion. "Yes- god, yes. _There… San-ta-na!" _Once, twice Santana repeated the rubbing of her thumb and the twisting of her fingers, and on the third time Brittany froze beneath her and she came with another gasp of her name. _Holy mother of god. _Santana slowed her movements before withdrawing her fingers to trace soft circles over that sensitive spot, bringing Brittany back down and prolonging the waves of pleasure. When she heard the blonde's breathing start to return to normal, and felt her body relax beneath her, she removed her hand and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, before rolling off and lying on her back next to her.

"Wow." Brittany managed to get out through her still slightly shallow breathing. "That was just… _wow."_ She turned to face Santana and ran a hand over her cheek.

"I know." Santana agreed, rolling over to look at the blonde and smiling, because that was _amazing, _and she looked so beautiful. "That was… you're incredible, Britt." Santana leaned in and caught Brittany's shy smile in her lips. Even after all of that, she still couldn't get enough of kissing her. Brittany sighed happily as they broke apart, and lifted her hand to stroke soft lines up and down Santana's bare arm. Santana hummed and smiled because Brittany knew she loved it when she did that.

"That was… like, the most amazing thing ever, Santana." Brittany whispered as the Latina scooted closer to her. "Sex machine was totally accurate." Brittany giggled and Santana shoved her playfully before pulling her in for another deep kiss. Santana felt her insides warm deliciously as their lips moved and their tongues brushed together lazily. They eventually broke apart and Santana rested her head on Brittany's chest.

"You're staying here with me right?" Santana whispered, feeling her eyelids beginning to shut as Brittany wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Santana."

**…**


	15. Rent

**Thanks for the lovely reviews - glad you enjoyed that chapter ;)**

**I'm loving writing this, so I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon - lots more to come! Keep letting me know what you think. And feel free to throw in any ideas! **

**AlabamaMiles that was just the combo I was going for!**

**Enjoy!**

**…**

Chapter 15:

_Okay. Best. Feeling. Ever. _

So, usually the morning after sex Santana would be desperately trying to figure out her best way to escape. Her head would without a doubt be pounding from too much alcohol the night before, her body would be sore and her mind full of regret. But mostly she would just feel _numb._ She'd probably be tip-toeing around the room, hurriedly tugging on the previous night's outfit and fumbling around for her things right about now, trying as hard as possible not to wake up the unsuspecting guy/girl, and getting herself the hell out of there so she could forget it ever happened.

But not this morning. Hell no. She was definitely in no hurry to escape anywhere. Partly because this was her own apartment, so duh, that would be weird. But mostly because she was so freaking happy right now. Actually, no, happy doesn't even come close. _Over the moon? Ecstatic?_ Whatever, there wasn't a word. But it sure as hell felt fantastic and she never wanted to let this feeling go.

She'd been lying there for what felt like hours. It was one of those incredible autumnal mornings which reminded her of how much she loved New York. October sun was filtering in from the large window by her bed, filling the room with a kind of hazy glow, and it was actually quiet for once. Well, as quiet as it could ever be in the city; she could still hear cars driving past, the occasional horn beeping, and muffled voices of people chatting in the street below, but it still felt so peaceful. A lazy smile stretched across her face as she decided that this perfect morning had absolutely nothing to do with any of that. In fact, it had entirely to do with the more than perfect girl who was lying – _naked _she might add – under the covers next to her. Santana sighed happily for what felt like the hundredth time this morning as she let her gaze drift over Brittany's body. Lying on her front, her long, blonde hair fell messily over her neck, her exposed shoulders were poking out above the duvet and her bare arms were resting up above her head on the pillow. Santana's grin stretched even wider as she slowly lifted a hand and pushed the covers down a little to expose a beautifully toned back, and traced a finger softly down Brittany's spine. She felt a delicious tingle run over her body and decided that this was by far the best way to wake up. Ever.

_She could so get used to this. _

Santana lifted herself a little and carefully leaned down to press a soft kiss in between Brittany's shoulder blades. She heard the blonde hum in response and shift slightly. She gently pushed aside some of the hair covering Brittany's neck and placed another light kiss just under her jaw line. Brittany hummed again and mumbled something incoherent into her pillow. Santana chuckled softly and continued to slowly ghost her lips over more of Brittany's exposed skin.

"What was that?" She whispered with a smirk into the blonde's ear, who twisted a little to face Santana, her eyes still shut and a sleepy smile tugging at her lips.

"… nice…" Brittany mumbled again and Santana leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, you are." She responded, her smile growing wider. _Okay, seriously, sleepy Brittany? Way too adorable._ She rested her head on her pillow again, and inched towards the blonde's face, just close enough so that she could brush their noses together. Brittany smiled again, before leaning even closer and catching Santana's lips in a soft kiss. She caught her breath for a moment because she couldn't imagine anything feeling more amazing than this right now and melted into Brittany's lips. They broke apart and both sighed content, happy sighs.

"Mmm… morning." Brittany said sleepily, her eyes finally fluttering open and Santana caught her breath again as she felt herself sink into blue. She rubbed their noses together again and lifted her hand to gently stroke her cheek.

"Morning to you too. Last night was…"

"Perfect." Brittany finished for her, a smile creeping wider across her face, before her eyes fluttered closed again. "Sleepy…" She mumbled as she buried her face into Santana's neck. _Yep, perfect. _She carefully peered over Brittany's shoulder to glance at her alarm clock and saw that it was just after nine. She had class at ten, and however much she wanted to stay here in this exact moment forever, she figured she had better show her face today, and Brittany probably had classes too. Santana slowly began pulling the covers off her and peeling herself away from Brittany, before she was trapped by an arm around her waist. "Stay." Brittany muttered into the crook of her neck and Santana chuckled at the adorable pout on her lips. She smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I've got to get ready for class, Britt, but you stay here, you're sleepy. I'll bring you some breakfast." At this, Brittany smiled again, her eyes still closed, and loosed her grip on Santana. "What time do you have class?"

"Twelve. And I'm gonna practice after." She shuffled a little and opened one eye in possibly the cutest way ever. "Will you come watch me?" Santana grinned and pecked her lips softly.

"I would love that, Britt-Britt. Now go back to sleep. I'll set your alarm, okay?" Brittany's eye closed again and she nodded before snuggling back down into her pillow. _Adorable._ Santana carefully climbed out of bed, pulling on some shorts and a sweatshirt to cover up her still naked body and stumbled out into the corridor. She pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and nearly had a heart attack when Rachel jumped up and greeted her from the living room.

"Good morning!" Rachel sung and skipped over to her. Santana lifted a finger to her lips, motioning for her to be quiet. Rachel mouthed an _Oh _and she glanced over to Santana's bedroom door. "So I take it things went well yesterday?" She asked in a barely quiet at all stage whisper. Santana rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the kitchen area.

"You could say that." Santana responded, unable to hide her grin as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Well, I truly am extremely happy for you, Santana." Rachel beamed as she sat down at the island. Oh god, she was still being annoyingly nice. She guessed she really did owe Rachel a thank you for everything she'd done yesterday and took a deep breath, figuring she should probably just get it over with. Better to do it now while she was still half asleep and her mind would be too groggy to care that much. Maybe the coffee mug she was holding could act as a shield to protect her from any over-emotional Berry hugs. Leaning against the counter, she looked down at the ground awkwardly.

"Look, Berry. I'm gonna say this once and only once. And if you dare tell _anyone_, there will be freaking hell to pay." She glanced up to see a rather startled looking Rachel. She coughed awkwardly. "I, uh, just wanted to… to… I wanted to say thank you." Santana watched in horror as Rachel's eyes widened, her lips stretched into an obscenely large smile and she began to get out of her chair, almost certainly for a hug. _Oh dear lord. _She glared and lifted a hand, motioning for her to stop before she continued quickly. "What you did was really great… you know, talking to me and helping with getting Brittany to meet me… and getting you and Kurt out of the house. So yeah… uh, thanks." _Phew. Okay, that wasn't so bad. _Santana immediately regretted speaking so soon as she saw Rachel's eyes begin to water. _God, really?_ "Jesus Christ, are you actually crying, Berry?" Rachel shook her head and not so discreetly dabbed the corner of her eye with her sleeve.

"No, no. I just… I think that's the nicest thing you've said to me. And… I don't know, I just guess I'm glad we're friends." _Oh man. _Rachel glanced up to Santana who rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at little.

"You're such a loser." She said playfully, shaking her head, and Rachel chuckled. "_Anyway_, where's Lady Hummel got to?" She added, eager to change the subject and forget this embarrassingly affectionate conversation ever happened. Rachel sniffled a little before taking a bite of her bagel.

"Still at Tina and Mike's, helping Tina with an outfit or something I think." Santana nodded and took a sip of her coffee.

"Berry, I, uh… You haven't told anyone yet have you? About… you know, me and Brittany?" She asked in a quiet voice without lifting her gaze from her coffee mug.

"Of course not. I realise it's not my place to tell anyone." Rachel replied and Santana glanced up to see her smiling warmly.

"Okay, good. It's just… I'm really happy and everything… I'm just not ready to go shouting it from the freaking rooftops or anything just yet, you know? And I really don't want Quinn finding out, she'd just-"

"You don't have to worry, Santana." Rachel cut her off and Santana let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Good, 'cause Brittany told Quinn she was staying at Trouty-mouth's place last night and-" Santana was cut off by the front door flying open and a flustered looking Quinn rushing into the apartment. _Shit._ Moments later an equally as flustered Kurt appeared behind her.

"Quinn! You practically knocked me over downstairs! And you could have at least got the elevator to wait for me!" Kurt panted, clutching a hand to his chest and gripping onto the door with the other. "Why are you in such a goddamn hurry?" Quinn stormed over to the kitchen and flung her bag and keys onto the island, startling Rachel and causing her to drop her bagel. _Oh god. This can't be good. _

"Whoa, what the hell's wrong with you, Q?" Santana asked from her place by the counter. Quinn started to search her gaze around the room. She seemed angry and panicked, and the others just stared at her blankly as she sighed and cursed under her breath.

"Fuck. Where the hell is she?" _Who?_

_Oh shit. _

"I'm gonna save you time Q, I'm right here." Santana replied with her best smirk as Quinn continued to survey the apartment. She figured cracking a joke might help make light of the situation for as long as possible, because she had a very good feeling who she might be looking for and she really didn't want to deal with that right now.

"_Brittany_. Have you seen her?" _Shit, shit, shit._ Quinn folded her arms and glared. Santana gulped. Hard. She had pretty much expected her to say that, but it still came as a shock for some reason. Her heart began to race and she tried to find words but she couldn't speak. _What the fuck was she supposed to say? _Oh, not to worry, Quinn. Brittany's currently lying naked in my bed. We had sex last night. Want a bagel?

"_Well?" _Quinn continued, still eyeing Santana. The Latina glanced over to the corridor leading to her bedroom, silently praying that Brittany wouldn't emerge at any moment, and then back to Quinn. Oh shit, she was definitely pissed off. Santana still couldn't speak. She was frozen to the spot and she felt her cheeks heating up under Quinn's glare. She took a gulp of coffee thinking that might help. _Nope. Extremely bad idea. _Her cheeks heated up even more and Quinn threw her arms up in frustration. "Where the hell is she?" She looked away from Santana and turned to Rachel, whose eyes were wide, and then to Kurt, who just looked extremely confused. Feeling herself cool down a little now that Quinn's gaze was no longer fixed on her, Santana managed to get her mouth working again.

"Alright, Fabray, I'm gonna need you to dial down the _crazy_ for just a second and calm down. I'm pretty sure she said something about staying with Trouty-mouth." She tried her best to sound as normal as possible and even made the effort to roll her eyes but it didn't seem to help. Quinn whipped back around to her and sighed with exasperation.

"Do you not think I know that, Santana? She texted me saying she was at Sam's last night, but I've just seen Puck. He was with Sam all night and Brittany wasn't at his." _Oh fuck. _Quinn sighed again, sunk down onto a stool and put her head in her hands. When she looked up again, she seemed less angry and more upset, or concerned. "Where is she? I just… she didn't come home and now…" Santana's heart was now hammering in her chest as she began to panic. _Think, fucking think. _

"I, uh… she…" Santana glanced to Rachel, who seemed to suddenly register the situation because she turned to Quinn and began speaking.

"Oh I actually saw Brittany yesterday and she mentioned something about staying at… her parents. Yes, that was it! Her parents. She's probably there, so there's no need to worry, Quinn." _Thank god for Berry._ Quinn looked up and glanced between her and Rachel. She wasn't sure if Quinn had bought it, but when the blonde took a deep breath smiled a little, Santana felt herself relax. _Phew. _

"Uh, okay. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I just thought she might be-" Quinn stopped mid-sentence and darted her eyes up to Santana. Her hazel eyes narrowed on something just below her face and Santana felt her body heat up again. _What? What was she looking at? _Before she could say anything, Rachel had stood up from her stool and was grabbing her by the arm.

"Santana, I need… your help with something." _What the fuck?_ Santana tried not to let her coffee spill as Rachel yanked on her arm and began dragging her away from the kitchen. She pulled her arm free and stared at her bewildered. Kurt and Quinn were also looking in their direction with confused expressions.

"Berry, what the _hell_ are you on about?" Rachel simply glared back at her, as if trying to send her a silent message through her eyes. _Okay, so not getting this._

"I need your help with the song I'm singing tomorrow." She gave her another meaningful look and Santana just stared back at her blankly. _She was so fucking weird sometimes._

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about, but can't it wait?" _Really, Berry? Kind of in the middle of a crisis right now._

"No. It can't." And with that, Rachel dragged her out of the living room and into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She immediately rushed over to her dresser and began rummaging through her make-up bag.

"Okay seriously, Dwarf. What the hell was that?" Rachel didn't answer, but instead kept rifling. "Jesus, if you wanted to talk to me so badly, you could have at least come up with something mildly convincing. Who the hell's gonna believe you would actually want _my_ help with a song choice? Urgh whatever… I guess thank you for the quick thinking about Brittany's parents. If Quinn was to find out I-" Rachel turned around and cut her off.

"You have an enormous love-bite on your neck." Santana's hand shot up to her throat and she winced at the tenderness of her skin. She darted over to the mirror and couldn't help but smirk at the large, purple bruise just below her jaw. _Nice work, Britt._ However, her smug grin was soon replaced with a look of horror as realisation dawned over her that Quinn must have just seen that. _Oh fuck. How had she not remembered to check?_ Her eyes widened as she tugged at the neck of her sweatshirt and found another hickey. _Shit. _Did Quinn know? Oh god, she had to. First, Brittany didn't go home, then Santana completely panicked when she asked her about it, and now she had a fucking hickey on her neck. _Oh god, oh god, oh god. Panic._

"Do you think she knows?" Santana demanded, turning to Rachel with a horrified look. Her heart was beginning to race and she suddenly felt nauseous.

"I don't know. Here." Rachel brought out a concealer stick and began rubbing it onto Santana's neck in her best effort to conceal the bruising. Santana winced again. "I don't think so. I mean, it's not like you waking up with multiple love-bites is completely out of the ordinary… No offense." She added hastily as Santana shot her a glare. _Harsh, but probably fair. _Okay, phew. Slightly calmer now. Why would Quinn automatically have to assume it was Brittany who gave her the hickey? That would seriously be jumping to conclusions, right? Besides, she might not have even seen it properly. She was on the other side of the kitchen after all. "There you go. It's mostly gone. You may want to consider wearing a turtle neck today though. I have one you can borrow." She added with a smile and Santana's horrified expression returned. _Hell, no._

"Seriously, Berry? I would say 'how stupid are you?', but you seem to be taking that as a personal challenge this days. So I'll just say that if you think I'm going to be caught dead in one of your god awful-"

"Fine! Wear a scarf of something, then. I'm just trying to help." Rachel looked a little defeated and shoved the concealer back into her bag, before folding her arms and pouting. _For the love of god, one problem at a time._

"Okay, Berry, I'm sorry. I guess you have saved my ass a few times over the past couple of days. Thank you." Rachel's smile returned and she nodded_. _"But seriously, please do us all a favour and throw out that turtle-neck." Santana added with a smirk and Rachel only rolled her eyes. Suddenly the two girls heard Kurt's voice from the living room.

"Ladies? Is everything alright in there?" Santana's eyes widened and she grabbed Rachel's arm. Her mind went to Brittany, who was still asleep, naked in her bed. What if she woke up and went into the kitchen? Worse still, what if Kurt or Quinn went into her bedroom and found her? _Shit._

"Listen to me very carefully, Berry." She whispered, grabbing her friend by the arm and leaning in close. "If you do one and one thing only today, _please _for the love of god get those two idiots the hell outta here." Rachel nodded determinedly, seemingly relishing her important role in all of this, and strode over to the door. "And Berry?" She paused and turned to face Santana. "Thank you. Seriously." Rachel smiled before leaving the room. _At least that girl had some uses._ As she grabbed the concealer stick again and desperately tried to cover up more of the bruising, she heard Rachel explaining to Kurt and Quinn that she was taking them out for a large breakfast. Santana had to hand it to the girl, she was a pretty damn good actress.

After a few minutes, she heard the front door close and the apartment fell into silence again. She placed the concealer back in Rachel's make-up bag and slowly opened the door, peeking through to check that they had in fact left. Breathing a sigh of relief, she returned to the kitchen area. _Crisis avoided. _Santana grabbed a couple of bagels, various spreads and a glass of orange juice, arranged them carefully on a tray and carried it out into the corridor. Pausing before she got to her room, she quickly darted back to Rachel's, stole a flower from the arrangement on her desk and placed in on the tray along with the breakfast. _She would never notice. _Santana might have cringed at how pathetically corny she was being right now, but the thought of Brittany's adorable smile when she woke up to find this made her not care. At all.

Santana opened the door slowly and peered in, only to grin stupidly when she saw Brittany fast asleep in the exact spot she'd left her. Distracted for a moment by how freaking _perfect _Brittany looked right now, Santana shook herself from her daze and tip-toed over to the bed before placing the tray down carefully on the little table beside it. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen from the top draw and scribbled out a note, which she placed under the pink flower.

_Hey Britt-Britt. Enjoy breakfast, I'll see you for your practice and we'll go for lunch after. And if anyone asks, you were at your parents' last night – I'll explain later!_

_Santana x_

_Ps. You look kinda beautiful right now._

She was about to screw it up and start again with something a little less cheesy, but when she stole another glance at the sleeping blonde, she changed her mind. Santana just had this overwhelming urge to make her happy. Brittany had the most amazing smile in the world, and Santana thought right then how she always wanted to be the one to make her smile. She leaned over and pressed her lips to Brittany's temple, softly so as not to wake her, and grinned as the blonde hummed happily in her sleep.

_Yup. She could definitely get used to this._

**…**

_Jesus Fucking Christ._

Santana couldn't take her eyes off her. Like, literally, her eyes had not left Brittany for even one second during the entire routine. How could she possibly look anywhere else when Brittany was this mesmerizing?

Santana was sat on a chair in one of NYADA's many dance studios watching, completely captivated, as Brittany ran through her dance routine. She was incredible. Like, seriously amazing. The way she was moving, her body twisting and popping to the hip-hop beats pumping through the studio, and her face in full concentration. Only earlier that morning, Santana had watched Brittany as she slept, so at ease and so _beautiful_, and right now there was that exact same beauty. Santana had seen her dance a little before, but not like this. It was stunning and magnetic, and just so… _sexy. _Santana could feel her entire body heating up and her heart racing and she shifted a little in her seat as the heat began to reach between her legs. _Holy shit._ Even though she realised she was getting way too turned on watching Brittany dance, Santana still couldn't tear her gaze away. It was like right then, no one and nothing else existed; she was being drawn to her and pulled towards her like-

"Santana?" She snapped out of her trance and realised she hadn't even noticed the music had shut off. She felt more heat rush to her cheeks as she saw that Brittany was now standing, her hands on her hips and her head tilted to the side with a little smirk tugging at her lips. _Oh god. Well, that's embarrassing._ She cleared her throat a little and sat up in her chair, trying desperately to ignore the throbbing between her legs. "I take it from that gaping look on your face that you liked it?" Brittany teased, still a little out of breath from her routine, and her smirk growing wider.

"I, uh… um..." Santana stammered and cringed at her inability to form words. She couldn't help it though, people should seriously be warned about the effects of Brittany's dancing. The blonde giggled and began walking towards Santana. Her heart was still thumping in her chest and the way Brittany's intense gaze was fixed on her as she stepped closer only made the burning heat worse. Santana hadn't quite prepared herself for just how hot Brittany would look when she had asked her this morning to come and watch her practice. Her long hair was scraped back into a tight, high ponytail, she was wearing grey sweats which sat low on her hips and a pink sports bra exposing her deliciously toned abs. _Yep, just a sports bra. _With each of her heavy breaths, her chest would heave up and down and her abs would tighten and then relax again. It was almost too much for Santana, especially when she let her mind drift back to the previous night and how she'd had that body pressed on top of hers, and the things she'd done to her and-

"Really that good, huh?" Brittany asked with a quirked eyebrow, and Santana noticed she was now standing right in front of her. She glanced up to see Brittany still smirking and her heated gaze sent another wave of heat rushing through her. _Oh god. _

"I… that… that was- _holy shit, _Brittany_." _Okay, maybe not the most coherent response, but that did pretty much sum up how Santana felt about that performance. Brittany only giggled again, and Santana's breath caught in her throat as the blonde took another step forward, so that she was now standing with one leg either side of Santana's thighs. She gulped as Brittany lowered herself slowly so that she was straddling her lap, and Santana's hands shot up instinctively to rest on her bare waist. "Hi." Santana managed to whisper as she heard Brittany's breath hitch with the contact to her skin. _Jesus, she was so turned on right now. _As she let her hands roam Brittany's exposed stomach, loving the way her muscles quivered under her touch, she couldn't stop thinking about last night. Remembering the way Brittany had touched her, the way her bare skin had felt against her own and the way the blonde had moaned and gasped her name, only sent the same jolts of pleasure through her body as before. Brittany lifted her hands to loop around Santana's neck and the Latina once again felt trapped under her heated, lust filled gaze. She glanced down to her lips and felt Brittany do the same. After looking quickly over to the door to check it was still closed, Santana tightened her grip on Brittany's waist and pulled her closer. "You. Were. Amazing." She whispered slowly and heard the blonde inhale sharply as Santana's breath brushed over her lips. They were now only inches apart, their eyes still locked on each other and their breathing heavy.

"Last night… was…" Brittany whispered breathlessly before Santana finally closed the distance between them and did what she'd been wanting to do all day. Since she'd had to leave for class this morning, she'd been craving Brittany's lips, the way they felt and tasted on her own, and the way last night they'd trailed all over her body…

Santana closed her eyes and sighed against the kiss as Brittany sucked on her bottom lip and tightened her grip around her neck, pulling her in even closer. She swallowed Brittany's moan as their tongues found each other's and Santana's whole body tingled as she took in that familiar taste. Her hands continued to explore Brittany's toned stomach, inching further upwards until her fingers began teasing at the bottom of her sports bra. She heard Brittany whimper into her mouth and felt another rush of heat as her fingers dipped just inside the material and brushed the underneath of Brittany's boobs. Her head was spinning deliciously as Brittany rolled her hips down into her and _holy fuck _she wanted her so badly right now. Their tongues continued to fight each other's and her hands under her bra inched ever so slowly up until-

The two girls jumped as Santana's phone vibrated loudly in her pocket. _Fucking hell, really?_ Santana groaned in frustration and removed her hands from Brittany's sports bra. They broke apart, resting their foreheads together and breathing heavily as Santana pulled her phone out of her jeans. She pressed another quick kiss onto Brittany's lips which were now pushed out into an adorable pout.

"Sorry, Britt." She breathed, still panting as Brittany shuffled backwards a little and dropped her hands to rest in her lap.

"It's okay. I guess we probably shouldn't be doing this here anyway. Even though it was totally hot." Brittany added with a grin and took Santana's hand which wasn't holding her still buzzing phone. Santana smiled and felt herself blush as she interlaced their fingers together, before pressing the green button on her phone without bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Whatever this is, it better be fucking important." She snapped into the phone and Brittany giggled still sitting on her lap.

_"Well hello to you too, Santana."_ She rolled her eyes and mouthed _Quinn_ to Brittany who nodded. Fucking Fabray and her fucking perfect timing as per fucking usual. _"I would have thought you'd be in a good mood today considering the size of the hickey I saw on your neck this morning."_ Santana froze. She glanced up to Brittany who must have heard too because her eyes were wide and her mouth had fallen open a little. _Oh god. _Her heart rate picked up again and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

"W-what? I- That wasn't-" Santana was majorly panicking now. She felt Brittany squeeze her hand and looked up into reassuring blue eyes. _Okay, calm. Deep breath. This is not as bad as it seems. _Before she could reply with some clever comment, she heard Quinn chuckle on the other end of the phone and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

_"Oh calm down S. I'm only playing with you. I'm sure whoever the guy was, he was lovely." _Santana felt herself relax and heard Brittany let out a breath too. _Thank fuck._

"Yeah, well, whatever." She replied with a huff as she managed to compose herself. "Would you now care to tell me why you're calling? Other than poking your nose in my business, I mean." She could practically see Quinn rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone.

_"I'm taking you out to lunch!"_ Quinn exclaimed cheerfully and Santana's stomach dropped. It wasn't exactly that she didn't want to see Quinn, it was just that she'd promised Brittany that they would have lunch together, and Santana would much rather spend time with her right now. Alone. She glanced up to Brittany, who simply shrugged. _"Santana?" _Quinn's voice sounded through the phone again.

"Oh, um… I'm kind of having lunch with Britt." She wasn't really sure what else to say, and she felt bad for rejecting her, but she wanted to be with Brittany.

_"I figured."_ Quinn sounded a little dejected and paused before continuing._ "I texted her too but she probably didn't get it. I thought we could all go out together."_ Oh.

"Um…"

_"Come on S. You guys are always together and I don't know… I guess I feel a little left out. Brittany's my roommate and I hardly ever get to see her... Besides, I miss the three of us hanging out like we used to." _Oh jeez, way to guilt trip, Fabray. Santana did feel a little bad though and, glancing up to Brittany, she guessed she felt the same because she was looking down and fiddling with Santana's fingers. Quinn was one of Santana's closest friends and she guessed she had kind of been neglecting her recently. It was just so hard to think about anyone else other than Brittany at the moment. _"Come on, you've totally been hogging her."_ She heard Quinn joke and Santana rolled her eyes. She squeezed Brittany's hand who lifted her eyes to meet hers. Santana held the phone to her chest so that Quinn wouldn't hear and quietly asked Brittany if she minded. She pouted a little but then shook her head and smiled. Brittany was too nice to leave anyone out.

"Okay, _fine." _Santana said with a dramatic sigh as she lifted the phone back to her ear. Quinn squealed. "Meet us round the corner in ten." As she was about to hang up, Quinn spoke again.

_"Actually I'm already at NYADA. Which studio are you in?"_ _Fuck._ Brittany's eyes widened and she leapt off Santana, who stood up and frantically began smoothing out her clothes.

"Y-you're already here? What the fuck Q, how did you even know I'd say yes?" Santana snapped as she hurriedly ran a hand through her probably tousled hair.

"You forget that I know you too well, Santana." Quinn replied with a chuckle. She quickly scanned her eyes over Brittany to check her appearance. Noticing some of her pink lip gloss smeared at the corner of Brittany's mouth, she quickly used her finger to wipe it off, and just in time because the door then flung open and Quinn appeared. "Ready to go?" She said with a smile, hanging up her phone, and the two girls nodded, still a little out of breath. "I can't wait, it'll be just like old times!" Santana and Brittany exchanged glances before grabbing their things and following Quinn out of the studio.

**…**

"So, you never told me who this charming guy was that was sucking on your neck last night?" Quinn quirked an eyebrow and looked at Santana with an amused grin.

"Oh didn't I? Must be because it's none of your fucking business." Santana retorted as she squeezed into the booth next to Brittany, whose cheeks were a little pink. _Cute._

"Oh wipe that look of your face, S. I'm only teasing." Quinn chuckled from her seat opposite them.

"Yet, despite that _look_, for some reason you're still talking." Santana shot a glare at her friend across the table. She then turned to Brittany who was giggling adorably, before hurriedly wiping off the probably stupid grin she had plastered across her face – or the _Brittany smile_ as Quinn so affectionately named it – and looked back at her friend smirking opposite her.

"Jeez, why are you so touchy?" Quinn teased as she picked up a menu. "It's not like I'm not well aware of your regular night time _activities._ Or was this person more than just another _bash and dash?_"

"Ew, gross." Santana scrunched up her nose from behind her menu at Quinn's delightful choice of vocabulary.

"Fuck and duck? Boom and zoom?... _Pounce and bounce?_" Quinn continued through a smirk and Brittany giggled again, although her cheeks were now definitely red. _Let's hope Quinn didn't notice. _Rolling her eyes at Santana's disgusted expression, Quinn put down her menu and studied her friend. "What, don't tell me Santana Lopez has actually developed _feelings _for someone?" She shook her head and laughed as if that was the most ridiculous suggestion ever. Santana felt herself tense and her cheeks blushing a little, so dropped her gaze from her friend and began studying the menu in front of her. She felt Brittany tense a little next to her. "Oh my god! No, I don't believe it." Quinn's expression changed from amusement to sheer bewilderment and Santana felt her cheeks warm even more.

"What?" Santana eventually snapped as she felt Quinn's lingering gaze on her. "Who says I can't have real feelings for someone?" She hadn't meant to say it, because she knew it would only spur Quinn on and make her even more curious, but she hated listening to her describe her like that. Especially around Brittany.

"Oh, please. You've told me yourself, countless times actually. 'I'm Santana Lopez. I don't _do _feelings. Never have, never will.'" She put on an annoying voice in an attempt to impersonate Santana, which only made the Latina's cheeks heat up more. She couldn't deny it; she remembered saying that, and probably on more than one occasion. Ever since Brittany had left all those years ago, and then when her dad had moved out, she just began putting up this sort of front. She'd seen how her parents' once happy marriage had just turned to shit right in front of her, and she had decided then that she would never put herself through that kind of hell. She had seen what it had done to her mum, how broken it had made her, and she had watched as her dad changed into this entirely different person. He had just left; abandoned two people he was meant to love more than anything in this world. And Brittany had left too. Of course, it wasn't her fault and Santana didn't blame her for anything, but she hadn't been able stop her sudden need to then distance herself from everyone. It was easier not to feel anything at all than to feel all that pain. _That's_ why she had said she didn't do feelings. It was just easier that way, until now anyway. Santana had put up her walls so quickly all those years ago, and the thought that now someone might be breaking them down scared her a little, but also gave her a strange sense of relief. Slowly, Brittany was pulling down her walls, and Santana smiled to herself as she realised that this girl was probably the only person who ever could.

When she felt Brittany nudge her on the arm, Santana realised she'd been lost in her thoughts, and turned up to look into those blue eyes. She instantly felt herself relax, and her sour thoughts melt away a little. She took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Quinn, who was looking at her with confusion.

"Well, maybe people can change." Santana said with a shrug. A delicious warmth spread through her as she felt a reassuring squeeze on her thigh under the table. Quinn narrowed her eyes on Santana before leaning back in her seat and returning her attention to the menu.

"That's something I'd pay good money to see." She said with a smirk and Santana rolled her eyes.

With perfect timing, the waiter appeared and asked if they were ready to order, interrupting the slightly awkward tension around the table. Santana told the scrawny-looking waiter, who couldn't have been more than about 17, that she would have the risotto and a diet coke and turned to Quinn who ordered the same. He scribbled down their choices and glanced to Brittany, who was doing that cute face she always did whenever she was thinking really hard about something. The one where her face is all scrunched up in concentration and her tongue pokes out a little. After a few moments she smiled and set her menu down on the table.

"Pepperoni pizza please." Brittany announced triumphantly and the young guy wrote it down on his pad of paper. "Only without the pepperoni. Thanks." She beamed again and handed the waiter, who was looking completely baffled, her menu. Santana's heart swelled a little and she felt a large grin stretching at her lips as she stared at Brittany. If anyone else said something like that, they would sound crazy, yet Brittany somehow manages to get away with it, whilst being totally adorable. She heard Quinn chuckle opposite them.

"You know that's just a margarita, Brittany?" She said with an amused voice. Brittany nodded and continued to grin.

"I know, duh. But margarita pizza just sounds so boring. I hate eating boring food, but I also hate pepperoni so…" This time Santana laughed because this girl was just freaking amazing. Quinn giggled too and the young waiter awkwardly joined in, before Santana shot him a glare and he scurried off into the back room.

"What a loser. I mean, seriously, what's the age restriction for working in this place 'cause he looked about twelve? I'm pretty sure he still had braces." Santana said, scowling at the direction in which the waiter boy had just hurried off. The others chuckled and she returned her attention back to the table. Desperately wanting to prevent the conversation from returning to its earlier topic of _feelings_, Santana turned to Quinn.

"Plans for this weekend? Are we partying?" Quinn looked at her weirdly for a second, before sighing and shaking her head.

"How have you forgotten? We're having the Halloween party tomorrow night, S. I host it every year." _Oh right. Halloween. _Not Santana's favourite holiday. All those snotty little kids running around all hyped up on sugar, knocking on their door and asking for candy. Like, why is it suddenly okay just to waltz up to strangers' houses and demand that they give you sweets? And not to mention the hideously embarrassing costumes she'd had to put up with from Kurt and Rachel over the years. Last year they genuinely went as salt and pepper. Not even kidding.

"Does this mean I get to help host?" Brittany asked excitedly and Quinn grinned and nodded. She squealed and bounced up and down in her seat. "I've never hosted anything before. This is gonna be awesome!" Quinn smiled in agreement before shooting a glare towards Santana.

"And S, you have wear a costume this year." Santana groaned dramatically and lay her head in her hands.

"Can't I just wear the super hot dress I bought the other day? I fucking hate costumes." She mumbled into her hands. Quinn shook her head.

"Nope, you have to dress up as something." Santana lifted her head and opened her mouth to speak but Quinn cut her off. "And not a 'hot bitch' like you came as last year." _Damn._ Brittany giggled from beside her and prodded her in the arm.

"Please, Santanaaa." She whined. "You _have _to dress up! It's Halloween! Anyway, it'll be super fun." She pushed her lips out into that pout of hers and Santana knew she was a gonner. Britt so didn't play fair. She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.

"Urgh, _fine."_ Brittany squealed again and pulled her towards her in a tight sideways hug. Quinn clapped her hands excitedly and Santana had to wriggle herself out of Brittany's vice grip for fear that she might actually stop breathing soon. "Yes I know, it's a miracle." She said sarcastically when Brittany finally released her. "I just better look freaking hot in my costume. And if Berry and Hummel even so much as _suggest_ that I join in with one of their tragic couple costumes, then someone is really gonna have a problem." She shot serious looks to her two friends who both chuckled. "Britt… what are you gonna wear?" Santana tried to keep her voice level, but she couldn't deny she was pretty excited about the thought of Brittany in a costume, hopefully a super slutty one. _After all, isn't Halloween just an excuse for girls to dress up as sluts for a night?_

"It's a secret." Brittany replied and Santana noticed a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes. _Okay, maybe she could be coming around to this whole Halloween thing._

**…**

A couple of hours later, the three girls stepped out of the elevator onto the floor of Santana's apartment. Santana pushed open the door and almost stumbled backwards as a very flustered Rachel jumped towards her.

"Where on earth have you been?" She yelled, grabbing Santana's shoulders and glaring at her with a terrifying look on her face. "I've been texting you and calling you for the past half an hour!"

"Jesus, Berry." Santana replied rather shocked, Quinn and Brittany standing behind her with equally confused expressions. "First of all, please don't get all up in my personal space." She took Rachel's hands and removed them from their tight hold on her arms. "And second of all, calm the fuck down. My phone was probably on silent." Santana huffed and made her way over to the sofa where Kurt was sat, who simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. She heaved herself onto the couch, dumping her bag on the floor.

"She was having lunch with us." Quinn added, still looking confused, as she and Brittany flopped down onto the other couch. Rachel stomped over and stood above them all, her hands on her hips and a wild look still in her eye.

"We're having a house meeting." _Oh god._ Santana groaned dramatically, leant back into the sofa and propped her feet up on the coffee table.

"Really, Berry? It's Friday, I'm fucking exhausted. And these house meetings are such bullshit." The last meeting Rachel had called was to organise a 'grocery schedule', which Santana soon completely refused to follow because there was no way in hell she was stepping foot in that freaky health store again to buy vegan shit. That place was too creepy.

"Santana." Rachel snapped, stepping forward to hover over her. "This is important. It's a code red situation." _Jesus Fucking Christ. _Santana groaned again and Kurt nudged her.

"Seriously, she's been like this for the past hour." He explained, ignoring Rachel's glare, and rolled his eyes. "She's refused to tell me what was going on until you got here and she's been in a complete panic. I think we better just listen before she breaks into Les Mis again…" _Oh for the love of god._

"Do us a favour and just spit it out, Berry." Santana snapped before Rachel could defend herself.

"Yes, Rachel what's going on?" Quinn asked, her voice laced with concern. Rachel heaved herself down onto the coffee table and threw her hands up dramatically.

"We've… we've received our final notice!" She blurted out before throwing her face into her hands. _Sorry, what?_

"_Excuse me?_" Santana snapped, sitting forward in her seat and looking around bewildered at the others, who looked equally as panicked.

"What? This can't possibly be right!" Kurt cried. He stood up from the sofa and began pacing back and forth. "How can we have a notice? We've been giving you our rent money. Every month - It's always on time! I mean, how on earth- we never miss rent." He paused from his rambling for a second to look at Santana who nodded violently in confirmation. _What the fuck was she on about?_

"Rachel, I thought your Dads took care of the rest?" Quinn asked in a measured voice from her place next to Brittany, who was looking very confused. When Rachel's Dads had found them this apartment, they had offered to pay the appliance bills to get them through college. It was way too generous of them, and she and Kurt had felt bad, but hey, they were loaded anyway.

"I know, I know!" Rachel cried, shaking her head back and forth in her hands. Her voice was shaky and she was probably about to cry.

"Hold on." Santana said sternly, causing Rachel to lift her head a little. "When the fuck did we get our _first _notice?" She was angry now. This could not be happening.

"A couple of months ago…" Rachel squeaked before wailing dramatically and burying her face in her hands again. _A couple of months ago? Was she serious?_

"And you didn't think to fucking tell us?" Santana's voice was now raised as she shot up from the sofa to tower above a distraught Rachel. "You have your fucking menstrual cycle pinned up on the fridge, but _this _you forget to mention?" Santana felt a hand on her arm and she whipped around to see Brittany standing next to her, blue eyes looking at hers and filled with concern.

"Santana, try to calm down." The blonde spoke softly. Santana wrenched her arm away, not noticing the look of hurt which appeared on Brittany's face.

"No I will not fucking calm down!" She hadn't meant to snap at Brittany, she wasn't pissed at her, but this whole situation was a fucking joke. She turned back to Rachel, who was now being comforted by Quinn. "I give money for rent every freaking month, and now I might get evicted because Hobbit here thought she would keep this bit of information to herself!" Rachel mumbled something into her hands, Quinn still rubbing her back.

"Santana, look. I agree this is difficult news, but I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Kurt said slowly, clearly trying hard to contain his own frustration. He glanced to Rachel. "Well?" She lifted her head from her hands and looked apologetically between her two roommates.

"I'm sorry, I- I should have told you I just-" She stammered between shaky breaths. "My Dads have been…having trouble- with the business. Th-they invested a lot of money somewhere and… lost it." Santana's eyes widened and she took an aggressive step forwards, before she was stopped by Brittany's firm hold around her shoulders. This time she didn't flinch, or tear herself away. Brittany's hands held firm around her and she let herself relax a little. Berry was definitely in the shit right now, but maybe it wasn't the best idea just to lunge at her. Although she was seriously tempted right now. Instead, she just folded her arms and glared at the brunette, waiting for her to continue.

"They said they would get it back – that it would only take a few weeks… Th-that's why I didn't say anything. I thought it would all be fine and…" Rachel trailed off with a sigh and Quinn continued to rub soothing circles on her back. Santana took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She flopped down onto the couch and smiled a little as Brittany sat down next to her. It helped to have her here. She most definitely would have attacked Rachel right now if she didn't feel Brittany's soothing presence beside her. She turned to the blonde and lowered her voice so that the others wouldn't hear.

"Sorry for snapping… I just-"

"Santana, it's fine." Brittany cut her off and smiled warmly. Santana felt herself relax a little more. She turned her attention back to the rest of the group and took a deep breath. "So," Santana began after an awkward silence, trying her best to keep her voice measured. "What do we do?" Rachel reached into her pocket and handed Quinn a folded piece of paper. Quinn took it and opened it up, her brow furrowing as she studied the writing.

"It says you guys have two weeks to come up with the money or… you'll get kicked out." _Fuck._ Rachel wailed again –_drama queen _– and Santana felt Brittany's hand return to her shoulder. Her insides warmed a little at the touch and helped her not to panic. _Okay, two weeks. _This wasn't so bad. Maybe she could ask her mum for some extra cash? No, probably not a good idea. She knew how tight on money they were back home, and her mum needed it to look after her little brother. Her muscles tightened as the thought crossed her mind that they probably wouldn't have that problem if her asshole of a dad had stuck around. Urgh, she would have to get a job. Santana hated the idea of working, and she'd tried to get a job when she'd first moved here but it's so damn hard to find good work in the city. And a boss that doesn't hit on you every five seconds during the interview. Maybe she could just rob a store or something? Puck would probably know some people…

"I'll talk to Izzy. See if I can get some paid hours at Vogue." Kurt mused as he plonked himself down on the other side of her with a sigh. "They always need people to bring them coffee and clean the bathrooms and stuff…" His face scrunched up at that thought, and Santana couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of Kurt bent over, cleaning a toilet.

"You and Rachel should probably find jobs too." Quinn said, turning to Santana who nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, we'll help!" Brittany said enthusiastically and Santana gave her a warm smile.

"And Rach, who knows? If you boss your Funny Girl audition, you'll be rolling in the cash!" Quinn added as she nudged Rachel's arm. Santana was grateful for Quinn lightening the mood when Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled a little.

"Okay, let's end this pity party. It's extremely depressing." Santana announced, lifting herself up from the couch. She didn't particularly want to think about it anymore. It was now officially the weekend and she wanted to relax. The job hunt could wait till Monday. "It's Friday, and I needs me some wine." Brittany chuckled beside her. "Are you guys staying?" Santana asked Quinn and Brittany, but her eyes remained fixed on the blue eyes below her.

"I'll stay for a glass, but then I really should get going. Need to get started with things for tomorrow night!" Quinn said excitedly and patted Rachel on the shoulder, before jumping up and heading to the kitchen area to seek out some wine.

"Britt?" Santana asked, eyeing her friend who was biting on her lip and seemingly thinking hard about something.

"Actually, I kind of have to go." She replied after a few moments and looked up to Santana, before giggling at the Latina's pout. _She really wanted her to stay. _They hadn't had a chance to really talk about last night, or anything else for that matter, seeing as how Quinn decided to third wheel on their lunch date. She wanted to tell Brittany again how amazing it was, how she'd never felt like that with anyone else and how she wanted to do it all over again…

Santana blushed slightly as Brittany smirked and she realised she'd been staring at her lips. She glanced round to check the others hadn't seen before rolling her eyes and taking Brittany's hand to pull her up from the sofa.

"I'll walk you out." She said to Brittany, who grinned and followed Santana across the living room and out into the corridor. Closing the door behind them, Santana led Brittany around the corner – just in case her nosy friends decided to spy on them through the peep hole – and took Brittany's hands in her own. She looked down awkwardly for a moment, before lifting her gaze to look at her friend.

"Sorry for being a raging bitch just now… it's just I was so angry and-"

"Santana, it's okay, really. I know you didn't mean to snap. You were just annoyed with the situation, and you should be, it's awful. But you know it's going to be alright?" Santana smiled and nodded, because now she did.

"I missed you." Santana blurted out and immediately felt her cheeks heat up at her words. Brittany giggled and squeezed her hands.

"I've been with you all afternoon silly." Santana rolled her eyes and lifted one of Brittany's hands to place a soft kiss to it.

"I know. But I missed just being with _you._" She muttered quietly and Brittany seemingly understood, because she smiled softly. They grinned at each other for a few moments before Santana spoke again. "How come you have to go?" Brittany's grin widened and Santana was sure she noticed a mischievous glint in those blue eyes.

"I've had an idea… So I just need to go sort something out." Brittany said playfully and Santana pulled her in a little closer. Not too close though, she was well aware that the others were just inside the apartment.

"So I take it from that mischievous look on your face that you're not going to tell me what it is?" Brittany just grinned harder and shook her head.

"Nope." The blonde replied innocently, and it was all Santana could do not to push her against the wall and kiss her right then. Instead she chuckled and rolled her eyes again.

"Fine. But at least tell me you're going to be wearing a something totally sexy tomorrow night?" She leaned a little closer and smiled as she saw a tint of pink appear on Brittany's face.

"Maybe." She smiled shyly and interlaced their fingers together. Santana felt her breath catch a little. "Only if your costume is just as sexy." Santana's own cheeks heated up as she saw Brittany's smile turn to a smirk.

"Shit. I totally forgot I agreed to that." She replied through a grin and Brittany giggled. But seriously, how the hell was she supposed to find a costume by tomorrow?

"Well don't forget. Because mine is super sexy…" She paused as she removed one of her hands from Santana's and began tracing a finger slowly up her arm. Santana felt her whole body heat up from the touch. _Fuck, she loved it when she did that. _"…and short…" Brittany continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "…and _really_ tight." Santana gulped. Like, audibly gulped, and Brittany smirked before placing a quick kiss on Santana's flushed cheek and turning swiftly towards the elevator. "See you tomorrow." She said with a wink, before disappearing into the lift, leaving a very flustered Santana in the corridor.

_Oh, tomorrow was going to be awesome._

**…**


	16. Halloween

**Hey guys! Sorry for the little wait, I've been ill this week :( sad times. Still lost my voice but I can write so all good! Really hope you like this chapter. There's a lot of development of Santana's feelings for Brittany, so keep an eye out for her subtle and not so subtle confessions!**

**Also, I'm pretty sure everyone will know what I'm getting at with Brittany's Halloween costume, but if not, check out Heather's live performances of Slave 4 U, and I'm sure you'll see why Santana is so flustered! **

**Enjoy, and I'm really interested to hear what you think of this chapter. The next one will involve some more fun at the party , but I didn't want to cram too much into this one. x**

**…**

Chapter 16:

"Oh, _hell_ no!" Santana yelled, a horrified expression on her face as her two roommates appeared in the living room. "No. Just, no. Absolutely not. I refuse to leave the house with you two looking like that!" Santana wondered how the hell she ever ended up living with these clinically insane people as she stared incredulously at Rachel and Kurt, who were making their way towards the sofa where she was sitting. Her eyes widened as she took in the full, horrifying force of their Halloween costumes. Rachel was wearing a full length, shimmery gold gown, with ornate Aztec detailing and blue chiffon material draped over her arms and attached to her wrists, as well as a ridiculously oversized gold headdress. Kurt's costume was perhaps even more terrifying, if that was possible. For a start, he was wearing sandals – yes _sandals _– which had criss-cross straps running all the way up to his knees, a strange brown skirt type thing – any opportunity for Lady Hummel – and most alarmingly, his torso was almost bare, aside from a red cloak covering his upper chest and falling behind him over his shoulders. She had to stifle a laugh as she noticed that he was even carrying a plastic sword and shield. _Dear lord. _"What in god's name are you even meant to be?"

"We're Antony and Cleopatra." Kurt stated proudly as the pair stood in front of Santana on the sofa, showing off their costumes and striking ridiculous poses.

"Obviously." Rachel added with a patronising tone. Santana just stared at them blankly. "Hello, Antony and Cleopatra?" She repeated with an exasperated sigh as she noticed her roommate's dumfounded expression. "The couple from one of the most beautifully tragic plays ever written, by possibly _the _most influential playwright in English history? William Shakespeare?" Santana glanced back and forth between these two completely over the top costumes, not quite sure how to respond. On the one hand she wanted to laugh out loud, because they just looked so damn ridiculous, but on the other hand she felt hugely embarrassed just to be within a few metres of them. "Oh come on, Santana! Cleopatra is one of the most complex, iconic female roles in history! At least we put a little effort into _our _costumes." Rachel added with a scoff as she turned to the mirror and began inspecting her elaborate makeup.

"I know who they are, dummies." _Well, sort of._ "I'm just trying to figure out what kind of party you think we're going to. You know it's only at Quinn's apartment right? Last year Puck wore nothing but boxers and claimed he was 'a tasty snack'." Santana chuckled and shook her head as Kurt looked down a little self-consciously at his get-up. "And hey!" She added, slightly offended as she realised Rachel had insulted her own costume. "I look totally hot." Santana stood up and nudged Rachel out the way to admire her outfit in the mirror. Sure, she hadn't spent much time on it – give her a break, she'd only found out she needed a costume yesterday – but she was pretty fucking happy with it.

After saying goodbye to Brittany and Quinn yesterday, she'd rushed to her room and had begun frantically searching her drawers for anything she could wear. After almost giving up and settling on the dress she'd recently bought and telling Quinn to go to hell, she'd stumbled across her old cheerleading uniform in the bottom drawer of her dresser. _Perfect._ She had grown a little in the few years since she'd worn it, so she was pleased to find it was even a little tighter and shorter than before. She'd put on white tennis shoes and tied her hair back into a high ponytail with a scrunchie, just like she used to do in high school. And right now she looked just as hot as she did back then, maybe even more so. Her red and white top hugged her breasts and was a little shorter than it used to be, exposing some of her toned stomach. The matching skirt was especially tiny, showing off her tanned legs and because of the pleats, every now and then you'd get a glimpse of her black panties when she walked. She hadn't bothered with her red spankies that she used to have to wear under her uniform – after hearing Brittany describe her own costume yesterday, Santana wanted to drive her crazy tonight.

They hadn't had much _alone _time since their incredible night on Thursday – aside from their seriously hot make-out session in the studio yesterday, but that didn't really count because they got interrupted. But anyway, Santana was seriously craving her. She was craving her lips, and her skin, and the way their naked bodies had felt pressed up against each other. But most of all, she was longing for the intimacy they'd experienced the other night; it was so hot and beautiful and romantic all at the same time, that Santana wanted to feel it again and again. And again…

Well, if she could drive Brittany wild tonight just like she'd driven most of the guys in high school wild with this outfit, she shouldn't have to wait much longer. Ugh, just the thought of it was making her-

"Lord, I feel like I've stepped into a time machine." Kurt broke Santana from her delicious daydream and she turned to see him eyeing her cheerleading uniform with a smirk. It did feel kind of weird wearing it again. It felt like a million years ago since she'd strutted down the halls of Mckinley High with Quinn and probably a few other cheerleaders closely in tow. She'd owned that place. It wasn't even that long ago, so why did she feel so different wearing this uniform now?

"Yes, well. I for one don't like the idea of stepping back in time." Rachel huffed as she adjusted her ridiculous Egyptian headdress. "You were horrible to us in high school." Santana rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't be dramatic, Berry. I wasn't that bad." Rachel snorted and gave her roommate a look as if to say _Are you kidding?_

"On the first day we met in glee club, you told me I belong in the zoo, preferably in a cage where my _enormous beak _couldn't harm any of the other animals." Santana felt a little bad, but couldn't help her tiny smug smile. One of her better insults.

"Oh, come on. That was like a gazillion years ago. I like to think I've changed at least a little since then." She nudged Rachel's arm playfully whose face softened into a reluctant smile.

"That is true." Kurt added with a grin. "I mean, who'd have thought that all these years later, us three of all people would be the best of friends?" He flung his arm around Santana's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Alright, let's not get carried away." She said, attempting but failing to squirm out of Kurt's grasp as she saw Rachel step towards them with a terrifyingly large smile. _Oh god. She knew that look. Please no group hug, please no group hug._

"No, he's right!" Rachel chimed in, her grin growing wider. "I never, in a million years, thought I'd end up living with Santana Lopez of all people, in the greatest city in the world, following my dreams with someone I can now truly call one of my closest friends" _Oh dear god. _"And you really have changed since the days you used to shove me into dumpsters and throw slushies in my face. You've been so different, especially recently." She winked knowingly at Santana, whose face reddened a little. "We're… really proud of you, Santana. We love you." She said sweetly and flung her arms around Santana, who groaned internally. _Seriously, why with the group hug?_

"We really do." Kurt beamed at her, seemingly enjoying watching her discomfort as the three of them hugged in awkward silence for a few moments. Well, Kurt and Rachel hugged, Santana more just stood rigid, crushed by the tight embrace and longing for this moment to be over.

"Alright _fine. _I love you guys too." Santana said hastily, very keen to for this to end. Right now. "But can we quit with the sappiness and go now? We're going to be late, and this conversation is making me dry heave." Santana wriggled out of the hug and grabbed her phone before striding over to the door. She tried her best to hide her smile, but, however much she hated to admit it, it was kind of nice hearing them say those things. Although they knew all the ways to piss her off, and were completely ridiculous human beings 95% of the time, they had grown extremely close over the past couple of years.

"Cleopatra?" Kurt said in a dramatic tone and held his arm out for Rachel.

"Why thank you, my love." She replied in an equally theatrical voice as she linked her arm through his and allowed him to lead her towards the front door.

_Jesus Christ, bring on the alcohol._

**…**

When Santana arrived, the party was already in full swing. She opened the door to Quinn and Brittany's apartment and stepped into their living room, having ordered Rachel and Kurt to wait in the car for five minutes before coming up. There was no way she was going to be seen arriving at a party with those two muppets dressed like that.

Santana grinned as she scanned the room, music pumping from the speakers and people chatting and drinking happily. Quinn may be a tight ass a lot of the time, but she sure knew how to throw a party. There were already loads of people there, some she didn't recognise, probably Quinn's NYU friends, and some other familiar faces. She had spotted Chang 1 and Chang 2 in full on make-out session on a sofa, Puck was hitting on some slutty-looking girl dressed as a nurse over in the corner, and there were a few other people she knew from her classes. Making her way over to the kitchen, where she would probably find Quinn, and hopefully a certain other blonde, she tried to avoid making eye-contact with anyone who might start up a boring conversation with her – she freaking hated small talk.

Entering the kitchen, she smiled as she saw Quinn mixing some drinks, but her smile instantly faded when she saw that Brittany wasn't there. She nodded at couple of guys she recognised as people Puck worked with, who were standing around the island taking shots, and walked up behind Quinn.

"Please make whatever that is strong. Rachel and Kurt's outfits look like someone threw up on them." Quinn turned around and grinned at her as she handed her friend a drink.

"Nothing's changed since last year then." She replied with a smirk, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Clearly. I see you decided to come as a stripper again." Santana joked as she eyed Quinn's outfit. She was wearing heels, black spandex leggings, a tiny black top and a police hat, which was placed at a jaunty angle on top of her blonde hair. _See, Halloween was totally just an excuse to dress like a slut._

"Actually, I'm a policewoman." Quinn corrected with a wink, pointing to a plastic badge pinned to her chest. Santana shook her head and chuckled. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure you're the one that's come as a stripper." She added through a sly smile as she eyed the Latina's cheer uniform.

"Um, no." Santana said with a confused frown. "I'm me in high school."

"Precisely." Quinn replied simply and Santana shot her a mock glare. _Hilarious. _"So does this mean that badass high school Santana is back tonight then?" Santana glanced back down at her cheer uniform and rolled her eyes.

"I'm still badass Q." She said defensively and took a gulp of her much needed drink. _Wow, definitely strong._

"Oh, of course you are, sweetie. You certainly haven't turned soft or anything." The blonde replied sarcastically. "Speaking of which, Brittany's just finishing getting ready in her room. She said to go and find her when you get here 'cause she has something to show you?" _Something to show her? _Santana felt her heart beating a little faster just at the mention of Brittany's name. _How was that even possible?_

"I, uh- what does she want to show me?" Santana's curiosity got the better of her and she mentally slapped herself for sounding so nervous.

"I have no idea. I've never been able to tell what's going on in that head of hers – that was always your job." Santana couldn't help but smile a little at hearing that. When they were younger, she'd prided herself on the fact that she seemed to be the only one that got Brittany's weird and wonderful way of thinking. "She's been giddy with excitement all day though, so I'd go and find out if I were you." Santana nodded, desperately trying to hide her eagerness, and grabbed another drink from the counter before spinning on her heels and heading back out into the party. She was immediately hit with the thumping music again as she re-entered the living room to find it even more crowded than before. More people were dancing now, she could see some guys drinking and smoking on the balcony, and she quickly averted her gaze when she saw Kurt and Rachel over by the door. She shot a quick glare at Puck, who had noticed her outfit and was wolf whistling, before escaping into the corridor.

Her heart began to really hammer in her chest as she approached Brittany's bedroom, the two drinks still in her hands. She'd only been inside Brittany's room once – well, she'd been in there when it still belonged to Tina, but that was different – and she couldn't help but smile at the memory. It was the first time she'd properly opened up to Brittany about her feelings, about how jealous she'd been seeing her with Sam, and most of all it was the first time she'd kissed her when they hadn't been drinking. And she remembered how amazing it had felt to do that, how completely right it had been, and that thought alone made her push the door to Brittany's room open without realising she'd even reached it. When she stepped into the baby blue room after closing the door behind her, she very nearly dropped the drinks she was holding.

_Holy fucking shit. _

Brittany spun round from her place by the mirror, a little startled at first, but then her face softened into a large smile when she saw who it was that had entered her room. Presumably noticing the size of Santana's bulging eyes, or the drool that was quite probably escaping from her mouth, the smile quickly turned into a knowing smirk. She felt her stomach twinge as Brittany's eyes darkened a little, and Santana took an unconscious step closer.

"Hey, you." Brittany said affectionately as Santana took another step towards her, not knowing quite how her legs were even working right now.

"Wow." She whispered breathlessly. It wasn't exactly the reply she'd been intending on, but she couldn't care less right now because Brittany. Looked. _Amazing._

Santana let her eyes trail shamelessly over Brittany's outfit – if you could even call it that because there was so little material involved. She was wearing the tiniest blue shorts Santana had ever seen, which had long feathers and more blue material draping from the sides. There was so much leg on show that it was impossible for Santana to think about anything else aside from the sudden throbbing between her own. And she hadn't even got started on the rest of the outfit yet. Santana dragged her eyes upwards and almost stopped breathing entirely when she saw how much of Brittany's toned stomach was on show. She was practically just wearing a bra. It was a green colour with two long pieces of matching, floaty fabric draping from the front, and it pushed her breasts up deliciously. Santana let her gaze linger on the body jewels surrounding her belly button for a moment, before looking up to see slightly wavy blonde hair, partly clipped back from her face and falling gently over her shoulders. _Just… wow._

"Brittany…" Santana breathed adoringly as she looked up into beautiful blue eyes now that the two girls were closer together.

"Yes, Britney Spears!" _Huh? _Santana snapped out of her little daze to see the blonde grinning excitedly. She looked down at Brittany's outfit again to see what she was talking about, only to immediately regret that decision because a wave of heat instantly rushed through her and the throbbing between her legs fired up again. "VMAs 2001. Slave 4 u." Brittany announced proudly and Santana snapped her eyes back upwards. _Oh, Britney Spears!_

"Are you seriously trying to give me a heart attack?" Santana asked and Brittany giggled as she fiddled with the green material of her shirt - the word _shirt _being used extremely lightly here. "You look… beautiful." She could have gone for any number of words right then – hot, sexy_, fucking arousing – _but beautiful just came out, and she was pretty chuffed with her choice when she saw the soft, genuine smile break out across Brittany's lips. _God, those lips._

"I did warn you." Brittany said playfully as Santana handed her a drink, stepping even closer. The blonde smiled and took a sip.

"Well what you didn't warn me about was the fact that you're practically in your underwear right now." Santana responded, not quite prepared for how husky her voice had become. She smirked as she watched the pink appear on Brittany's face. She had no control over her hand which slowly began moving towards Brittany's exposed torso. Brittany kept her eyes trained on her as Santana's fingers reached her bare stomach, and she inhaled sharply as she watched the muscles quiver in that familiar way under her touch. _Oh god. _Brittany continued to watch her intently, her breathing a little heavier now, as Santana stroked over her exposed skin, ever so slowly outlining the contours of her abs and lingering over the silver body jewels around her belly button. Santana closed her eyes and enjoyed the fact that she was _allowed_ to do this. She was actually allowed to touch Brittany and to kiss her and to tell her how beautiful she looked.

"Santana." Brittany breathed in such a sexy way that Santana had to force her eyes open to look at her. Blue eyes were fixed on her own, and staring at her with so much emotion and affection, that Santana thought she might just pass out. Brittany took another step closer, so that the palm of Santana's hand was now pressed flat against her stomach. _Holy shit. _"You know I have a thing for cheerleaders?" Santana had almost forgotten she was wearing a costume herself – she'd been a little distracted to say the least– and glanced down shyly at her own outfit. "You look seriously hot, you know that?" This time it was her cheeks that turned pink as she looked up to see Brittany smiling adoringly at her. She was about to reply when all the breath got caught at the back of her throat. Brittany's hands had found their way to the outside of Santana's thighs and she suddenly couldn't breathe. She just stared up into blue eyes as those hands inched further upwards. Santana's stomach clenched when Brittany's hands lifted underneath the pleats of her skirt and stilled. She heard Brittany's sharp intake of breath as she clearly noticed that she was only wearing panties. "Are you trying to give _me _a heart attack?" Brittany asked breathlessly and now it was Santana's turn to giggle.

She leaned up on her tip-toes – Brittany was wearing heels and was even taller than she usually was compared to the Latina – and finally captured Brittany's lips in her own. Both girls hummed happily and Santana relished the delicious tingles covering her body. Their lips moved slowly but firmly against each other's and Brittany tightened her grip on Santana's bare thighs. Santana couldn't help the disappointed whine when Brittany pulled away after what felt like not nearly enough time. She opened her eyes to see Brittany smiling apologetically before taking Santana's hand in her own and squeezing gently.

"As much as I would love to stay here and kiss you right now, and I mean, _god_ you have no idea." Brittany grinned widely and Santana giggled because she was pretty sure she _did _have an idea. "I think I should probably make an appearance to my own party. And besides, I have something super exciting to show you." Brittany grinned some more and Santana quirked an eyebrow.

"Was this not what you wanted to show me?" Santana asked, dropping her eyes down the blonde's body, her hands fiddling with the green material hanging from her top. Brittany blushed and rolled her eyes before leading Santana by the hand towards her desk.

"No silly. Well, yes, obviously, but- no, I mean- argh you're getting me flustered!" Brittany stammered as she tried to hide the tint of pink spreading further across her cheeks. _Adorable._

"Sorry, it's the uniform. Works every time." Santana replied with a smirk, not sorry at all. Brittany laughed and shook her head as she let go of Santana's hand to rifle through the things on her cluttered desk.

"Yeah, I think it has magic powers or something… Ah ha! Here we go!" She swivelled back to face Santana, clutching a piece of paper and an enormous grin on her face. Santana eyed her curiously, wondering what she could be up to as she handed her the sheet of paper.

"What is this, Britt?" She asked, unable to fight the matching grin at her lips; Brittany's smile was just so goddamn infectious.

"You've got a job!" _Wait, what?_ Santana just stared at her for a second, eyes wide, trying to work out what on earth she was on about, before glancing down to the document in her hand. It looked like some sort of contract. She lifted her gaze back to Brittany, who was still beaming and clasping her hands together in anticipation. How on earth could she have a job? She hadn't been to any interviews. Unless she'd started sleepwalking again… Or maybe she'd got drunk sometime between today and yesterday and hadn't remembered going? Okay, completely ridiculous suggestion. _What the hell?_

"Britt, you lost me." Brittany giggled and grabbed Santana's hand again.

"Okay, so you know how yesterday I said I had an idea, and that I had to go do something?" She started excitedly.

"Yeah…"

"Well, see I had this thought, because I'd heard Puck saying the other day how he needed more waitresses at Lola's 'cause three of them just quit – something about sexual harassment complaints, whatever that means – but anyway, I didn't really think anything of it. And then when the whole thing happened yesterday I suddenly thought why don't you work there?" Santana was staring up at her, a stupid grin making its way across her face, as Brittany's voice got faster and faster the more excited she got. "So I spoke to Puck and he was super happy about hiring you, and you go there all the time anyway so it's kinda perfect, and you'd waitress – I know that's not the most exciting job in the whole wide world, but Puck said he might be looking for entertainment and I know you can sing so-"

"Britt, slow down!" Santana laughed and squeezed her hand. "Just slow down a second. You did this for me?" She asked in a quiet voice, her grin now of epic proportions.

"Yes." Brittany replied matter-of-factly through a satisfied smile. Santana thought her heart might explode from just how happy she felt right now. Brittany had really done this for her? She knew how important it was that she got a job, and she could probably tell how much she loathed the idea of trying to find one, so she'd come up with this idea all by herself and gone to ask Puck about it? Santana didn't know what to say. No one had ever helped her like this before. No one had ever wanted to. She was so happy right now and just… _Brittany._

She chucked the piece of paper back onto the desk and before Brittany could look confused, Santana wrapped her hand around her neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She felt Brittany smile against her lips as hands wrapped around her waist. They melted into each other and enjoyed the long, soft kiss until Santana pulled away after a few minutes, only to pull Brittany into a tight hug.

"Thank you." She whispered into the crook of Brittany's neck as arms pulled her in even closer. She didn't think she'd ever meant those two words more. They eventually broke apart and Santana couldn't help the adoring way she was now looking up at Brittany. "I mean it, Britt. No one's ever done anything like this for me before." Brittany smiled one of the largest smiles Santana had ever seen and placed another quick peck on her lips.

"You deserve it." She said sweetly and Santana's heart did that fluttery thing. "Now, come on. This drink is super tasty and I want another one!" Santana grinned and let Brittany pull her towards the door. "Wait!" She jumped as the blonde squealed and rushed back over to her bed. She watched as Brittany dug around the many fluffy pillows and eventually pulled out a long, yellow cuddly snake toy, and draped it over her neck. "Now, I look like Britney spears." She announced proudly and Santana couldn't help but kiss her once more when she came back over.

"I'm just gonna warn you," Santana whispered in a sultry voice as she leaned in close to Brittany. "There's no way I'm going to be able to keep my hands off you tonight, Britt." She heard Brittany gulp audibly, before Santana turned on her heels and made her way out into the corridor with an enormous grin on her face.

_Halloween is the best._

**…**

_Okay, get it together Lopez. You're better than this. You are twenty-one years of age, for Christ's sake. You are a mature adult, and no longer a love-struck, horny teenager… oh god, don't say horny. _

Santana was giving herself this pep-talk as she was staring, wait no, just casually _looking _at Brittany, who was on her tip-toes, trying to reach one of the kitchen cupboards. Santana felt her stomach dip delightfully and couldn't seem to look away as Brittany's obscenely short shorts rode up even further as she stretched to grab a bottle of vodka. _Okay, so maybe there was a bit of staring going on._

Santana knew she was leering. She knew she should look away right about now because she was being painfully obvious and they weren't the only ones in the kitchen. So, with all the strength and willpower she could find, she tore her eyes away from Brittany's ass and down to her own drink. She knocked the rest of it back, figuring she was going to need it if Brittany was going to be teasing her in that outfit all night. The drink was strong, and Santana grimaced a little as the burning liquid hit her throat, but it made her feel good, and it was just what she needed. Before she could ask for a refill, Brittany spun round and poured some vodka into her cup with cheeky grin, before topping it up with cranberry juice.

"Thanks." Santana said sweetly and took a sip of her new drink._ Yum._

"I'll have one of those dri- _wow_. Brittany, you look…" Quinn walked into the kitchen but stopped in her tracks beside Santana as she noticed Brittany's costume. Brittany smiled shyly as she poured the other blonde a drink, and Santana's whole body stiffened at the way Quinn was now gawking at her. Okay, so Brittany looked totally hot and she'd been leering too just a moment ago so Santana could hardly blame her, but still it was only okay when she did it, right? "Britney Spears?" Quinn enquired, quirking a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and Brittany nodded, pleased.

"You got it. It's Britney Bitch." She responded with a wink and Santana grinned hard, forgetting any jealous thoughts. That was until she heard an all too familiar wolf-whistle behind her.

"Well, fuck, blondie! Looking good." Santana whipped around to see Puck, beer in hand, staring with absolutely no shame whatsoever at Brittany's outfit. _Or lack thereof_. She heard Brittany giggle and watched Puck lick his lips which proceeded to curve into a devilish smile. _Oh hell no._

"Thanks. I'm meant to be Britney Spears." Brittany replied lightly and took a gulp of her pink drink.

"Well you can definitely hit me baby one more time." He drawled around a smirk and Santana's stomach clenched again, not in the good way.

"Fuckerman. Do us all a favour, stop eye-raping Britt-Britt and get back to your slutty nurse. And please ask her if she has any cures for being a total asshole." Her friend chuckled before heading over and grabbing another beer from the fridge.

"Calm your tits, Lopez, I'm just telling it how it is. The possessive thing's hot on you though." He added with a wink and Santana nearly choked on her drink. _Fucking hell_. Way to be about as subtle as a steam train, Puckerman. She glanced nervously to Quinn who was eyeing Puck curiously, and then to Brittany, who was looking back at her with a satisfied smirk._ Oh god. _She glared at Puck who just shrugged innocently before heading back into the living room.

"Gimme one of those." Santana motioned towards a few shots that had been lined up on the island by a couple dorky looking guys – presumably some losers from Quinn's class. The nerdy looking duo gawped back at her as if this was the first time any girl had ever spoken to them. Santana stared pointedly at them for a second, but when she realised they were too concerned with staring at her boobs to answer, she rolled her eyes and snatched one of the shot glasses, knocking it back quickly. She scrunched up her face in disgust when she felt the sour taste of Sambuca hit the back of her throat. Santana _hated _Sambuca. She closed her eyes and pinched her lips together to keep the liquid down, before eventually swallowing thickly and coughing a little. "Ugh, who the hell drinks Sambuca?" She asked through a splutter to no one in particular and heard Quinn chuckle. "Let's do a shot of something that _doesn't_ make me wanna hurl, and then let's go dance." Santana suggested to her friends, who nodded eagerly in response. Really, she was just addressing Brittany, because she could imagine nothing she wanted to see more right now than Brittany dancing in _that _outfit. Santana felt slightly overwhelmed right now. She was so incredibly turned on; there was so much of Brittany on show that it was kind of impossible not to be, but she was also filled with so much affection for her. She still couldn't believe that she'd got that job for her. Brittany cared about her that much, to want to help her and do something that amazing for her. For _her. _When did Santana get so freaking lucky? Brittany was so incredible, and kind, and beautiful and-

"Santana?" Quinn interrupted her thoughts and Santana whipped her gaze up to see a shot glass being thrust towards her and two blondes looking back at her with highly amused expressions. "Shots?"

**…**

"You look so hot tonight." Santana whispered as she leant in close to Brittany and tightened her grip on her hips. The tall blonde hummed and swayed her hips a little more to the pounding music filling the apartment. Santana didn't really care right now that she and Brittany were practically grinding into each other in the middle of Quinn's living room; firstly, because she had no idea where Quinn had disappeared off to after doing the shots, Kurt was nowhere to be seen either, and Rachel already knew about her and Brittany. And secondly, because Brittany looked so damn sexy right now, it would almost be rude _not _to grind up against her. _Well, kind of. _Besides, she sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone else do it. It was like being in a war zone tonight with Brittany dressed like this; just like a soldier having to keep a look out for the enemy, Santana was constantly having to defend Brittany from pathetic, horny-looking guys drooling over her. Not that Brittany had asked to be defended or anything, but Santana figured it was kind of, you know, her duty or… whatever.

"I really wish I went to high school with you. If that's what you wore everyday…" Brittany breathed seductively and pulled Santana closer. A tingle shot through her body and Santana slid her arm to loop around Brittany's bare waist. _Holy shit. _It was like every couple of minutes Santana would forget that Brittany was wearing such a breath-taking outfit, only to suddenly be reminded again and have her heart stop beating entirely. She was sure it wasn't good for her health.

Santana was beginning to feel the delicious effects of the drinks she'd had as she continued to move with Brittany to the beats of Rihanna's _We Found Love_. She could feel the alcohol pulsing through her veins and her head buzzing wonderfully. A wave of pleasure jolted through her as Brittany's hips jerked into her along with the music. _God._

"We so would have got it on in high school." Santana rasped and she felt Brittany grip her shoulder tighter. She slid the hand not holding her drink from its place on the small of Brittany's back, around to her stomach, and smirked when she felt the blonde grind into her again. Santana glanced around her, aware of how much more intimate their dancing had suddenly become. The living room was now full with people dancing; various couples were grinding up on each other, groups of friends were dancing and laughing hysterically and some others were sprawled across the sofas pushed to the outside of the room. She cringed as she caught eye-contact with Rachel, who was grinning widely and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at her and Brittany. The brunette was on one of the sofas, rather awkwardly wedged between two frantically making-out couples, eating a bowl of what looked like… fruit? Who the hell eats a bowl of fruit at a party? _Jesus_. Santana suddenly found herself staring – in a non-creepy way – at the couples practically getting at it on the couches. She felt… envious.

"I really want to kiss you right now." Santana whispered into Brittany's ear before the thought had even formed properly in her mind. She really _did _want to kiss her. She wanted to do more than kiss her, but more than anything she just wanted to feel the familiar comfort of those soft lips against her own. She hated the fact that she could see all these couples around her practically dry humping in front of everyone, and she couldn't even so much as kiss Brittany right now. She felt the blonde's movements still and the hand on her shoulder loosen its grip. Santana looked up to see Brittany staring down at her affectionately, a genuine smile on her lips.

"Come with me." Brittany ordered softly around her smile before grabbing Santana's free hand and turning on her heels. Santana allowed Brittany to lead her through the clusters of people dancing, feeling kind of giddy at how safe she felt with Brittany's hand wrapped tightly around her own, kind of like she belonged to her. They pushed past a few more people, before Brittany opened the door to the fire escape and tugged them outside onto the small balcony. Santana shivered when the cool night air instantly hit them as they stepped out into the darkness, but she was kind of relieved to be away from the pounding bass and the heat of the party. No one was out here smoking, so it was just the two of them, and kind of peaceful.

Brittany tugged on her hand, lifting Santana's gaze to look at her and the blonde grinned.

"You can kiss me now." Brittany prompted quietly, almost shyly, and Santana couldn't help but match her wide smile. It was dark outside, but the glow from the streetlights illuminated Brittany's face so beautifully and lit up her blue eyes so brightly, that Santana just stood and stared for a moment, taking in the overwhelming feeling of admiration she suddenly felt. Brittany was beautiful, so perfect just then. It was bewildering and confusing to Santana how Brittany of all people would allow her to kiss her, to hold her hand, even just to be around her. She just felt really, _really_ lucky. "What?" Brittany asked in an amused tone as she caught onto Santana's staring, a light blush creeping across her pale cheeks.

"Nothing, I just… You're kinda perfect right now." Maybe it was the alcohol that was making Santana blurt out whatever she was thinking, or maybe it was just the effect that Brittany was having on her, but she didn't really care. She felt like Brittany deserved to know just how incredible she was in her eyes. Santana watched as the blush deepened on Brittany's face and a shy smile made its way across her lips.

"You're a dork." Brittany responded around her bashful smile, tugging on Santana's hand and pulling her further towards her.

"You're beautiful." Brittany smiled wider at her friend's goofiness and rolled her eyes as Santana stepped even closer. "Aaand also kind of a dork." Santana added playfully before setting her drink down on the railing and lifting both hands to cup Brittany's cheeks. Santana was the perfect amount of drunk. Not so drunk that she felt out of control or couldn't think straight, but just the right side of tipsy. The kind of drunk that made her feel amazing, and peaceful and just so… _happy. _As she stood, hands gently placed on Brittany's cheeks, which were slightly pink from the night air, or perhaps the intimacy of this situation, looking up into bright blue eyes, Santana felt the sudden need to be around Brittany more. Which was kind of strange considering she was around her right now. But she just felt like she couldn't get enough; she wanted to be with her all the time. It made her feel a little nervous.

The nerves soon disappeared though because now Brittany was closing the distance between them. Santana sighed happily as she felt Brittany's lips claim her own. The familiar kiss was soft and delicate, a strange contrast to the muffled music they could still hear thumping from inside the apartment and the occasional cheers or shrieks of laughter. But it was kind of perfect right now, outside in the calm night air, away from all the chaos of the party, just them. Santana heard Brittany hum quietly, before wrapping her arms tighter around the Latina's waist and pulling her in, deepening the kiss. It still wasn't rushed though; even as she felt Brittany's tongue brush along her bottom lip before pushing past and finding her own, the kiss was still soft and slow. Even though Santana could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her stomach twisting and turning with something she could only describe as butterflies, she didn't feel the need for things to go faster. She just wanted to stay there, in this moment, kissing Brittany like this for as long as she would let her.

Santana's hands moved from cupping Brittany's face to wrap around her neck as their tongues brushed smoothly against each other's. She took Brittany's bottom lip in her own and sucked gently before pulling back and placing one soft peck against her lips. Santana moved to rest her head on Brittany's shoulder, nuzzling into the crook of her neck and smiling as Brittany's arms tightened around her in the hug.

"I love this." Santana whispered softly into Brittany's ear and the little hum that escaped the blonde's lips in response was enough to start up those butterflies again. It was weird, now Santana thought about it. A few months ago, there was no way she would be having fun at a party unless she was right at the centre of the action, drinking herself numb and trying to spot someone equally as wasted who she could go home with. But here she was, completely away from the party, only a little tipsy, and not wanting to move from this spot, ever. She didn't care about anything going on in there, the only thing on her mind right now was Brittany. This amazing girl, her best friend, who had come back into her life and turned her whole world upside down. Or, come to think of it, maybe she'd flipped it the right way round again… All she knew, is that she felt incredible every moment she spent with her, and hated those that she didn't. And yet she couldn't even share that with her friends. _Why couldn't she again?_

"Santana?" Her stomach rolled at the sound of Brittany's soft voice and she hummed in reply, placing a soft kiss to the spot just under her jaw and then lifting her head to look into those eyes. Brittany's hands stayed at the small of her back as she searched Santana's features, maybe trying to read her thoughts. After all, they were all about her. "What did you mean when you said that to Quinn?" She paused for a moment. "You know, about not… doing feelings?" Her voice was so quiet, but instead of looking down shyly, Brittany's gaze remained firmly fixed on Santana; it wasn't challenging, just almost… encouraging, like she knew the answer already and just wanted to hear her say it. Santana had to admit, although the question came slightly out of nowhere, she wasn't entirely surprised somehow, perhaps because of what she had just been thinking about, so she chuckled happily in response. She could tell Brittany wasn't expecting this reaction when she watched the confused smile curve its way across Brittany's lips.

"Well," Santana began, taking Brittany's hands from around her waist and holding them in her own. "I used to feel that way… I mean, since you moved and my dad left, I guess I kind of forced myself not to feel anything… for anyone. I didn't let myself, you know?" The look on Brittany's face, the way her eyes were so soft and so bright even though it was dark, made Santana feel safe, safer than she could ever remember feeling, which was weird considering how intimate this conversation was. "It was just easier to keep a comfortable distance from everyone. And I always thought that was because those things that happened… broke me somehow. But now I get it." Santana wasn't sure why she was smiling so hard. Usually, whenever she spoke about back then, she got all bitter and closed off, but right now, looking up at Brittany, probably with a goofy, lopsided grin on her face, everything just seemed to click.

"Yeah?" Brittany asked tentatively around a slightly unsure smile and a furrowed brow. Santana nodded and squeezed her hands reassuringly.

"Yeah. It wasn't that I couldn't feel anything anymore, it wasn't that I stopped believing in those feelings, or that I felt Ididn't deserve to feel them. I think it was just that I was… waiting for you." Santana let out a breath because she had finally got out what she had wanted to say for so long, without even knowing it. What she hadn't realised, was that all this time she had been waiting for Brittany to come back into her life, and to make it mean something again.

"Santana…" Brittany breathed as her face softened into a shy smile. Her voice was quiet and kind of airy, as if she was utterly surprised by this sudden confession, but on the other hand like she had been waiting to hear those words forever. "I think I was waiting for you too." She finally said around a grin, just above a whisper, as if it was their little secret, words only for Santana to hear.

"Yeah?" Santana asked, her smile now of epic proportions as she interlinked their fingers together.

"Yeah." Brittany breathed and squeezed their joined hands. Santana's head felt dizzy with the delicious combination of just the right amount of alcohol and the incredible blue eyes she was now lost in.

They stayed there for what felt like hours, just inches apart, losing themselves in each other's gaze, and every now and then stroking a thumb over the back of a hand, or bringing a palm up to press against soft lips. In reality it was only a few minutes, but when the door to the balcony opened, neither of them heard it. It was only when someone awkwardly cleared their throat behind them that the two girls turned around to see Kurt stood in the doorway, still clutching his plastic sword and shield, eyeing their joined hands. Not in a judging way, or disapprovingly, just _curiously. _Maybe it was that look which made Santana not pull away or attempt to cover up the situation, or maybe it was simply the alcohol slowing her reactions, but whatever it was, rather than panic, she felt entirely calm, and even tightened her grip on Brittany's hands.

"Hey." Santana broke the silence, offering Kurt a reassuring smile. He immediately tore his gaze away from their hands and glanced quickly back into the apartment, as if deciding whether he should stay or not, and then back at Santana.

"I uh, h-hey ladies." Kurt stuttered, still awkwardly standing half inside and half out. "Sorry, just for a second there it kind of looked like… like you guys were…" Santana wasn't sure what had changed, why this was so different from when Rachel had walked in on the two of them together. Again, it might have been the alcohol, but Santana didn't think that was it. Maybe it was because they weren't in such a compromising position this time and she felt a little more in control, or maybe it was because of how much had changed since then, even since stepping out onto this tiny balcony. But whatever the reason was, Santana didn't feel the panicked need to defend herself, or to correct him. She kind of _wanted _him to know.

"Yeah." The word just sort of tumbled out in simple confirmation. She watched as Kurt's eyebrows lifted, and she felt Brittany's hands tighten their grip around her own. Kurt opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a giggling Rachel appeared behind him, still clutching her bowl of fruit. _Seriously, what was with that?_

"Antony! There you are my love! You _have_ to try some- Oh, hey Santana. Brittany." Rachel's wide smile dropped in almost comic realisation as she glanced dramatically slowly between Kurt, Santana, Brittany and the girls' intertwined fingers. "Oh, um… uh…" She began to stammer nervously as she took in the situation unfolding in front of her, clearly trying desperately to find a solution. "Kurt, I need to… uh, show you something. Come back inside please." Santana couldn't help the little laugh that came out at Rachel's poor attempt to distract Kurt, but she appreciated the effort all the same. _Wait, why was she laughing? Wasn't she meant to be freaking out right about now?_

"Berry, it's fine." Santana assured around her chuckle, letting go of one of Brittany's hands but keeping a firm hold on the other. _Why the hell was she so calm about this all of a sudden?_

"It is?" Rachel's eyes were wide with confusion as she continued to glance between her friends.

"Yeah, it is?" Brittany echoed from beside her. Santana looked up to see Brittany eyeing her with that same confused, but nevertheless happy smile, and Santana found herself nodding confidently.

"Wait, is _what _fine?" Kurt questioned, looking from an equally as perplexed Rachel back to Santana. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" _Here goes. _Santana looked up to Brittany again for confirmation to see her smiling lovingly back at her, before turning back to Kurt. Now it came down to it, she hadn't the faintest idea what to say. She couldn't say she and Brittany were together, could she? No, they hadn't even spoken about that themselves, so that would be weird. What the hell was she meant to say then? Oh, we've made out countless times, had sex once and just generally flirt outrageously the rest of the time? _Jesus. No._

Deciding there was no way to really explain this, Santana did the first thing that came into her head. She took Brittany's hand still intertwined with her own and placed a soft kiss to it. She could feel Brittany smiling beside her, but she kept her gaze firmly on Kurt in order to gauge his reaction. She watched nervously as his eyes widened a little, looked down at their hands again, glanced to Rachel who smiled and nodded, and then back to them. Santana's nerves lifted away however, when she saw the warm smile spread across his face.

"I knew it!" Kurt exclaimed as he clasped his hands together, drawing hushed giggles from Santana and Brittany. "Oh my goodness this is _so_ exciting! When did this happen? _How _did this happen? I mean, of course I expected something, but I didn't really know for sure if-" His excited rambling was cut off with a slap to the shoulder and a stern look from Rachel. Kurt rolled his eyes and allowed Rachel to start dragging him back inside the apartment. "Fine, I'll leave you girls to it, but I will expect all the details tomorrow!" And with a final accusatory point of his sword, the door closed behind them, leaving Brittany and Santana alone again. Santana knew she had a stupid grin plastered across her face, but she couldn't really speak for a moment. _Had that really just happened? _Did she really just voluntarily tell someone about her and Brittany? And why did she feel so okay with it?

"I can't believe… Did that really just happen?" Brittany asked around a large grin, clearly reading Santana's mind. The Latina chuckled and turned to face her again.

"Apparently." Santana replied through her laugh. "Sorry, I kind of caught you off guard there. Was that okay?" She realised she hadn't even ran it by Brittany before blurting it out to Kurt, not that she exactly had the opportunity, but still. Brittany didn't reply for a second, and instead leant down to place a chaste kiss on Santana's lips, making her eyes flutter close and her insides fill with warmth and those freaking butterflies again.

"I'm so proud of you, Santana." It wasn't what she had expected Brittany to say, she wasn't sure why, but it forced her eyes open. The sight she was met with was Brittany grinning from ear to ear, her perfect white teeth showing, and her eyes watering a little. _Wow._ Santana lifted her hand and stroked a finger over Brittany's soft cheek, catching a tiny tear which had escaped from the corner of one of those blue eyes, and smiled.

"You're the reason I was able to do that, you know?" Santana said, dropping her hand and taking Brittany's other one again. "I'm like this whole other person when I'm with you. I'm a raging bitch around everyone else." Brittany chuckled and opened her mouth to protest but Santana didn't let her. "But not when I'm with you. How do you do it, Britt-Britt?" Santana asked through her stupidly large grin, which she would have felt embarrassed about had Brittany's not been just as big.

"I'm just awesome." The blonde shrugged innocently and Santana giggled. "I don't know. Maybe, I'm like an exception or something." She added a little more seriously, rubbing her thumb softly over the back of Santana's hand.

"The only exception Britt." Brittany chuckled at her cheesiness but a blush crawled over her cheeks all the same.

"Are we… telling people now then?" She asked, swinging their hands back and forth between them. Santana thought for a second before replying.

"Yeah, I think so. I mean, I want to, yes. I really want to. Just… let me figure out how to tell Quinn okay?" Brittany seemed to understand because she nodded and smiled sweetly. "But listen, Britt. I wanna _be _with you. I don't want anyone else, I just want you, okay?" Brittany nodded again, pulled her in closer, and claimed her lips once more. Again, it was gentle and measured, and Santana couldn't stop herself smiling against her lips because of what this kiss meant. They were actually going to _tell _people about them, and more importantly, Santana _wanted _to. Brittany wanted to be with her, and only her, and that thought alone made her want to kiss Brittany like this forever.

_Maybe she would let her someday._

**…**


	17. The Hangover

**Hey! So overwhelmed at how many people are reading and enjoying this. It really means a lot, and I love reading each and every one of your reviews. I'd love more people to let me know what they think, 'cause it really helps to hear any ideas or feedback, and I love hearing what you guys have to say!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. I hope it's got a good mix of fun and cuteness.**

**What did everyone think of the new episode?**

Chapter 17:

**...**

**8.33 a.m. **Cannot. Open. Eyes. Head hurts. Room spinning (weird considering eyes still closed). Ugh. Must. Sleep.

**8.57 a.m. **Oh dear god. What's happening? Everything still pitch black. Why can't I move? Am I dead? Oh my god, I'm dead! Panic, _panic!_

**9.16 a.m. **Must have fallen asleep again. Decided am in fact not dead, but rather suffering from world's worst hangover. Never. Drinking. Again.

**9.17 a.m. **Okay, maybe not _never. _Nothing wrong with a glass of wine every now and again… Oh _god_, don't mention wine! Think I may be sick… holy fuck, sudden feeling of nausea. Definitely going to be sick. If only could move…

**9.23 a.m. **Okay, false alarm. Wasn't sick. Actually feeling a thousand times better. Hangover must be cured? May even be able to open eyes…

_Oh dear god I'm blind._

Santana blinked roughly a couple of times as she took in her surroundings. Where the hell was she? This definitely wasn't her room, it was far too bright, and there were way too many fluffy pillows around her. _Oh god. _A feeling of horror rushed over her as she thought for a split second that she may in fact be in Rachel Berry's bed, but she let out a sigh of relief when she noticed the baby blue walls. _Brittany_.

Rolling very tentatively onto her back, and ignoring the fact that she was for some reason sprawled sideways across the bed, Santana let a lazily smile stretch its way across her lips. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly happy about the conversation she and Brittany had had out on the balcony last night. It could not have been more perfect. It's like everything just sort of clicked; why she'd been so closed off all these years, how it was Brittany she'd been waiting for, and how nothing had really made sense up until she came back into her life. All she wanted was to be with Brittany and make her happy, and she'd _told _Brittany that. But more importantly, she'd said that she wanted to tell _other _people that. _God, she sounded grown up._

Her slow, hungover brain only just catching up with the fact that she was in _Brittany's bed_, Santana grinned harder. She turned onto her side and reached her arm out to find said blonde, only to feel very confused when her arm hit the cool mattress. Wait, if she was in Brittany's bed, where the hell was Brittany? Santana shot up into a sitting position, an action which she immediately regretted when her stomach made a sound that threatened to bring up all the alcohol consumed last night with it. After staying completely still for a few moments and ensuring there was no possible chance of throwing up, Santana slowly surveyed the room. Yep, definitely Brittany's bedroom, but no sight of Brittany. Santana thought back to last night. When had she gone to bed? Had Brittany gone with her? She glanced down to see that she was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Wait, when did she get changed? Did Brittany help her? Ugh, head hurts with so much thinking. To be honest, Santana could hardly remember anything after the balcony. She remembered coming back in, getting more drinks… dancing… a lot… The Latina smiled at the hazy memory of dancing with Brittany, the stolen looks and lingering touches. What else had happened though? _Jesus, this was like the fucking Hangover or something. _

Deciding the best idea was to go and find the others who could hopefully shed some light on the situation, and preferably give her some coffee and/or an aspirin, Santana carefully clambered out of bed. She had to steady herself a little and tell the room to _stay still _a few times before moving, but she finally managed to stagger out into the corridor and slowly make her way towards the kitchen where she could smell… bacon? _Oh thank the lord._

Santana instantly felt better when she entered the kitchen to see Brittany wearing tiny shorts and a loose t-shirt, standing with her back towards her over at the stove. _Mmm two of her favourite things… Brittany… and bacon._ She found herself grinning stupidly as she tip-toed up behind the blonde and snaked her arms around her waist. Brittany gasped in surprise, before turning her head and greeting her with a warm smile.

"Morning sleepyhead." Brittany beamed and Santana just hugged her tighter, placing a soft kiss to her shoulder.

"Mmhmm…" She hummed into the blonde's neck who giggled and continued to poke at the bacon in the pan.

"Is that directed at me or the bacon?" Brittany asked around a grin and Santana squeezed her once more before heading over to the cupboard to grab a mug. "Both." She teased, eliciting a giggle from Brittany which she was sure could have melted away her entire hangover all by itself. "Want coffee?"

"Got some, thank you. There's more in the pot if you want some though." Santana nodded before pouring herself a mug and sitting down at the island. It was remarkably tidy in here, so she guessed Brittany must have cleaned up.

"Few quick questions." Santana said casually, still smiling as she took a sip of coffee. Brittany turned to face her curiously. "Firstly, how long have you been up? Because I may have been wasted but we definitely didn't leave the kitchen like this last night." Brittany chuckled before returning her attention to the pan.

"I'm kind of a morning person. Besides, you were kicking in your sleep and kept stealing the duvet." She replied lightly and Santana mentally face-palmed. It was one of those strange things in life that she had never understood. Any other normal night, she was the image of serenity when she slept; she didn't move around, she didn't snore or sleep talk. However, as soon as she'd been drinking she somehow turned into this wild, thrashing duvet-hogger. It was like a medical condition. She should probably get it checked out…

"Yeah… sorry about that. You can blame it on the alcohol." Brittany laughed and retrieved two plates from the cupboard beside her. "Okay, next question. _How _are you not hungover? I wasn't the only drunk one last night was I?" Brittany laughed again and shook her head before bringing the two plates with delicious-looking bacon sandwiches over to the island.

"First of all, that's two questions." The blonde said with a grin as she sat down opposite Santana. "And no, you definitely weren't the only drunk one. I just don't tend to get super bad hangovers." She shrugged and took a large bite of her breakfast. Usually, people who didn't get hangovers irritated the hell out of Santana because, well, how is that fair? But obviously this being Brittany, she couldn't help but smile, and took a mouthful of her own sandwich. _Ugh, so good. _She could definitely get used to Brittany making her breakfast.

"Okay, last question. And definitely the most important." Santana set down her bacon sandwich and looked at Brittany with feigned seriousness. Brittany tried to fight back a giggle and mirrored her actions. "What the _hell _happened last night?" Brittany snorted and went back to her breakfast. "No, Britt, I'm serious! I literally have no recollection of most of the party. Everything after the balcony is kind of a blur…" She felt a blush appear on her cheeks at the mention of their conversation last night. A good blush though. Brittany looked up and smiled widely.

"Good. Well, I'm glad you didn't forget that part." She said sweetly as she reached across the island and tapped Santana on the nose. She giggled when Santana pretended to swipe her away. "Don't worry though, the night is pretty much a drunken haze for me too. I don't even remember going to bed." That made Santana feel better that she wasn't the only one. At least she hadn't been roufied again. "I'm also trying to work out where this weird bruise on my arm came from." Brittany lifted her elbow to show her the purple mark and a large smile slowly spread across Santana's face as something came flashing back to her.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth and stifling a laugh. "I remember!" Brittany, slightly taken aback, eyed her curiously before her expression changed into one of alarm.

"What? Did I do something embarrassing? Oh god, I did, didn't I?" Santana couldn't help but think Brittany's panicking was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

"Britt-Britt. I'm afraid you could say it was pretty embarrassing." The blonde buried her face in her hands. "But don't worry! We were all involved so it wasn't just you." Brittany seemed to relax at this news as she lifted her face and it softened into a curious smile.

**…**

**_Last night…_**

_Okay, so this was like the best party ever. _

_Ever since she and Brittany had returned from the balcony, Santana hadn't been able to wipe the ridiculous grin off her face, not that she'd been trying particularly hard. The past couple of hours had whizzed by in a blur of seductive looks, stolen touches, and a lot more drinks. And Santana was loving every minute of it._

_She was now on her fourth drink. And by fourth she means sixth, or probably eighth, but she wasn't really sure. All she knew was that the music was still loud and the lights were dimmed, and Brittany still looked stunning. It was pretty late, and Quinn had shouted for everyone to go home about half an hour ago, so only a few of them were left, drinking and dancing happily. Quinn and Kurt had finally reappeared, and Santana and Brittany had spent god knows how long drunkenly dancing along with them, Rachel, Tina and Mike, only with breaks every now and then to retrieve more alcohol. It had got to that stage in the night when all the regular drinks had gone, and Santana was pretty sure she had just knocked back what tasted like a mixture of rum, tequila and beer. _

_Now however, for which reason drunk Santana had yet to figure out, she was sat on Puck's shoulders, who was standing on one of the sofas opposite a grinning Brittany, who had Quinn giggling on her own shoulders. The four of them seemed to be involved in some kind of gladiator competition. Whatever it was, it was seriously fun. Clutching Kurt's plastic shield in one hand, she made another failed swipe at Quinn with the sword. Quinn shrieked when she nearly toppled off Brittany in an attempt to dodge the attack and Santana found herself laughing hysterically – much more so than necessary – at the way Quinn's arms flailed ridiculously as she tried to steady herself. She couldn't stop thinking about how much it reminded her of an octopus, but when she tried to explain this idea to Brittany, she just burst out laughing and then couldn't remember the rest of her story. This time it was Santana's turn to shriek as Quinn flicked her across the face with the cuddly snake she'd stolen as a weapon from around Brittany's neck. The two blondes high-fived triumphantly. This game was surprisingly hard, especially with the dizziness she was now feeling from her last few drinks. _

_"Oh, hell no! You're gonna pay for that one, Fabray!" Santana yelled above the still pounding music with a wicked grin as she poked Quinn in the chest with her plastic sword. Quinn gasped and dramatically lifted a hand to her heart as if she'd really been stabbed, which only made Santana laugh harder. Sure, so maybe they looked completely and utterly ridiculous – after all, it's not every day you see a cheerleader holding a sword and shield fighting a policewoman swinging a toy snake on top of Britney Spears shoulders – and okay, so they were at least ten years too old for this kind of game, and yes, this was definitely how people fall and wake up in the morning with various drunken injuries, but they were all far too drunk to care right now. They were just the right amount of wasted, that this game was pure genius. _

_"Yeeeesss! Go Team Brunette!" She heard Rachel squeal from somewhere below her and Santana prodded Quinn again with her toy sword._

_"Brittany, hold still! I can't get at her when you're… arghh - wobbling like that!" Quinn shrieked in between giggles as Brittany nearly stumbled off the sofa._

_"You weigh a freaking ton Quinn, it's not my fault!" The blonde replied through a huge grin, tightening her grip around Quinn's thighs, and Santana chuckled. _

_"No I do not!" She shouted adamantly, all the while trying desperately to dodge Santana's wild swings. "You're a dancer! You're meant… to be… strong!"_

_"Get 'em Lezpez! We've got this!" She heard Puck yell from underneath her and she took another swipe at a giggling Quinn. Santana watched with amusement as Quinn screamed again, wobbled a little and then desperately clung to Brittany's head for support. She snorted with laughter as Quinn's attempt to hold her balance meant that her hands were now covering Brittany's eyes, who proceeded to panic and stagger blindly from side to side on the couch._

_"Quinn! I can't- I can't see! Get- arrghh!" Brittany screamed dramatically as her legs buckled underneath her and the two of them came tumbling off the sofa and onto the floor in an epic fall. "Ow, my elbow! Quinn, get off!"_

**…**

"Oh my god I can't believe we did that!" Brittany breathed out through a laugh. "We are seriously like five years old." Santana nodded in agreement, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to prevent any breakfast spilling out as she joined in the laughter. "It really hurts though." Brittany added with an adorable pout as she rubbed her injured elbow.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't sucked so bad at that game…" Brittany let her jaw drop open in mock offense and Santana let out another laugh, before leaning over to place a quick kiss to her injured elbow.

"Yeah? Well at least I didn't spend twenty minutes walking around on all fours pretending to be a guinea pig." _Excuse me?_ Brittany was grinning wickedly and Santana just stared back in shock. No, she couldn't have… could she? She did vaguely remember a game of Truth or Dare… and her hands did feel slightly sore from what could well be carpet burn, but… a _guinea pig?_

"Who the hell does an impression of a guinea pig?" Santana exclaimed in horror to a giggling Brittany. "I mean, how does someone even go about doing that? I swear they're like, silent animals… how do you even- Britt, stop laughing! It's not funny!" She playfully slapped Brittany on the arm, which just made the blonde laugh harder. Okay, even though Santana was completely mortified right now, she felt kind of pleased with herself knowing that she was the one making Brittany laugh this much, because_ holy fuck, _that laugh was gorgeous.

"I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Brittany breathed out in between giggles, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "It was a dare, don't worry. And you were actually pretty good. Definitely the best impression of a guinea pig I've ever seen." Santana stuck her tongue out at Brittany for her teasing and then buried her head in her hands.

"God, why do I feel like there are so many more embarrassing stories to come out of last night?" She groaned and reached for her coffee. "I bet it was Berry who made me do that. Definitely sounds like a Berry dare." Brittany chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which, where the hell is everyone else?" Santana glanced around her, suddenly realising she hadn't seen any of the others yet.

"Well I saw Tina and Mike asleep on one of the sofas, and Puck is passed out on the living room floor…" Santana nodded. Standard. "But I have no idea where Kurt is." _Jesus, this really was just like The Hangover._ "And as for Quinn and Rachel…" A devilish smirk appeared at her lips. "I have to show you something." Brittany suddenly stood up from the island, still grinning as she reached for Santana's hand.

"But _Britt…_" Santana whined as she got dragged out of her very comfortable seat. "I haven't even finished my sandwich yet! And it's _so _good!" Brittany ignored her and began pulling her out into the hall.

"Believe me. You're going to want to see this." Santana smiled despite herself, ignoring the sudden feeling that her head was going to explode from standing up too quickly, and let Brittany lead her down the corridor. They paused outside the bathroom and Brittany let go of her hand to grab the door handle. "Ready?" She asked, still grinning as she lifted a finger to her lips, motioning for Santana to be quiet, before turning the handle. Santana wasn't quite sure why they were having to be quiet, but nonetheless followed Brittany's lead, tip-toeing like a ridiculous cartoon character into the bathroom.

"What are we looking at?" She hissed in a loud whisper. Santana couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary. As far as she could tell, it was just how Quinn's bathroom usually looked, aside from a half empty tequila bottle and a couple of discarded plastic cups scattered across the white tiled floors. Brittany motioned for her to be quiet again before grinning and pointing over to the bathtub. Santana tip-toed over to get a better view of whatever Brittany was trying to show her and her mouth fell open.

_Oh my god. _

She couldn't help the laugh – or rather snort – that erupted as she took in the sight in front of her. Rachel was passed out in the bathtub, lying face-down on top of a sleeping Quinn, hair in disarray, still in their costumes from the night before. _Priceless._

"_Shh!_" Brittany hissed and nudged her shoulder, but she too was failing miserably to contain her giggling.

"Oh my _god! _This is just-" Santana breathed out around another laugh and gripped Brittany's shoulder for support. "Hands down… best thing I've ever seen… oh my god!" She spluttered in between bouts of laughter. Brittany was desperately trying to get her to be quiet but little giggles kept escaping from the blonde's mouth. When Rachel suddenly snored loudly – one of those snores which literally sounds like the person is choking – the girls lost it. They erupted into fits of laughter, gripping onto each other and making failed attempts to keep quiet.

"Oh my god... Too much!" Brittany collapsed on the floor and clutched the rim of the bathtub as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Did you… was the moustache you?!" Santana stammered as she noticed the black marker on Quinn's upper lip. Brittany nodded and snorted with laughter again. _Genius._

"Britt, they're… Shh I think they're waking up!" Santana hushed as she watched Quinn's nose wrinkling slightly and Rachel shuffling on top of her. She held her breath and watched with utter amusement as Quinn, still wearing her police hat, began rubbing her closed eyes and shifting a little. A muffled groan escaped Rachel's lips and Brittany heaved herself up to peer over the tub, not wanting to miss out on a second of this entertainment. Santana couldn't help but grin, knowing she was enjoying this little too much, as she watched the realisation process appear over Quinn's features. Quinn scrunched up her face, opened one eye slowly before clearly regretting that decision and shutting it quickly. Finally she squeezed open both eyes, blinked once, twice, and then glanced down to the mess of brunette hair below her. Santana swallowed another laugh as she watched Quinn's bleary eyes focus then widen in shock.

"Wha-" Quinn muttered barely audibly and Santana heard a stifled giggle from Brittany. Quinn squeezed her eyes shut tight before opening them again and attempting to speak. "What the- why in god's name am I in my _bathtub_?" She croaked as she glanced around her with a panicked expression. Santana and Brittany lost it again, bursting out into another fit of laughter, Brittany resting her head on the rim of the bath, Santana doubling over and wiping the tears falling from her eyes. Quinn immediately snapped her attention to them, only just noticing they were here, and glanced between her two hysterical friends. "Did you do this to me?" She said accusingly, but her voice was so weak and croaky it didn't even come close to intimidating, only making Santana and Brittany laugh harder.

"N-no… This was… all you." Brittany managed to stutter as she tried to regain her composure. Quinn muttered something as she shifted underneath Rachel again. The brunette let out another strangled groan, this one louder and Brittany snorted with laughter again.

"Rach." Quinn croaked but the brunette just buried her face further into her friend's neck. "Rachel." She repeated, this time a little more forcefully as she prodded her arm. "Rachel, I- you're on my- I can't breathe. _Rachel!_" With a sharp intake of breath, Rachel suddenly snapped her head up and glanced at her surroundings, rubbing her eyes groggily. Her vision focused in on Quinn below her, before glancing up to Santana and Brittany, who were desperately trying not to laugh again. She looked like she was trying to speak, but instead settled on another groan and let her head fall back down onto Quinn's chest. "Rachel, I'd really like to get out of the bath." Quinn announced as she shook her friend to prevent her from falling asleep again. Brittany giggled and clambered back up to her feet, taking Santana's hand and leading her towards the door.

"Come on. Let's leave them to… whatever this is, and go finish our breakfast." Brittany said around a grin and Santana nodded. She took one last look at Quinn and Rachel, just to make sure the sight was firmly etched into her brain, before allowing herself to be led out of the room and back to the kitchen.

"Okay, this is quickly becoming one of the most entertaining hangovers I've ever had." Santana announced as she sat down and took a bite of her bacon sandwich. It was a little cold now but she didn't really care, it still tasted good and nothing could bring down her mood after seeing _that._ "Why the hell did they think it was a good idea to sleep in the bath?" Brittany let out a breathy laugh and took a gulp of her coffee.

"I have no idea. But I took a picture on my phone when I found them this morning." She added with a wicked grin which Santana mirrored immediately.

"Okay, you, Brittany S. Pierce, are a _genius._"

**…**

"I hear you guys passed out in the bathtub." Tina announced with a knowing grin as Rachel and Quinn finally appeared in the kitchen. It was now around eleven. Puck had disappeared off somewhere and Kurt was still nowhere to be found –they should probably be a little more worried about that come to think of it. Tina and Mike had eventually joined them in the kitchen and the group was now having a great time piecing together the events of the previous night.

"So I guess we're telling people then?" Quinn addressed Santana with a hint of irritation as she pulled up a stool at the island. Rachel poured her and Quinn coffee before taking the seat next to her and resting her head in her hands. They'd both got changed into sweats and Quinn had managed to rub off most of her moustache, so at least that was something.

"If by _people _you mean everyone we know, then yeah." Santana said casually as she sipped on her second mug of coffee. _Oh, she was going to have so much fun teasing those two for weeks._

"Right." Quinn replied thoughtfully, taking a gulp of her own coffee. "Then I guess you should probably know that you prank called your mum last night." She said as if it was no big deal at all. Santana's mouth dropped. _No. no, no, no, no._

"_What?!_" She nearly spat out her coffee all over the island as she stared back at Quinn with a look of horror. When her friend simply smirked, Santana leapt up off her stool and sprinted to Brittany's room to find her phone, leaving behind her giggling friends. When she eventually located it on the floor under her Cheerio's uniform, she hastily swiped the screen and her stomach dropped when she saw four missed calls from her mum. _Fan-fucking-tastic._

**…**

So, Santana had been meaning to tell Quinn about her and Brittany. She really had. But one thing after another just kept… getting in her way. Okay, so yesterday was obviously a complete right off. These kind of serious conversations should never be had hungover. And besides, after she'd got back to her own apartment, she'd had to spend the remainder of the afternoon trying to convince her mum that _no, she was in fact not pregnant and no, she wasn't running off with her professor to get married. _Everyone else seemed to find the whole situation highly amusing, but no matter how many times Santana tried to explain the concept of a _prank call _to her mother, she just didn't seem to get it.

And then take today. One by one, little things kept happening to put Santana in a bad mood; it's like the universe was trying to tell her that this whole _telling Quinn_ thing was a bad idea. First of all, she fell out of bed when her alarm clock went off this morning. Like, _literally _just fell out of bed. Who even does that? And then Kurt decided to tell her that he had forgotten to buy more coffee when he went grocery shopping the other day, so she was forced to have de-caff with her breakfast this morning. _De-caff. _What the fuck is even the point of drinking coffee without the caffeine? That's like… like… Ugh, she can't even find a comparison. See? Her brain doesn't function without coffee in the morning. She'd then had to spend most of the morning sitting through her Musical History and Vocal Theory classes, listening to Rachel Berry next to her drone on and on and _on _about pitch and timing and breathing and _who gives a fuck? _And on top of everything else, the sunny, autumnal weather seemed to have completely given up and it felt like it had dropped about a hundred degrees. The sky had greyed over and the darkened clouds were threatening to open up at any moment. _Just great._

So it was safe to say Santana hadn't had the best of mornings. The only thing that was keeping her from giving up all together and throwing herself in front of a moving bus, was the text she had received earlier, and which she may or may not have read at least twenty times since.

_Good luck baby. You'll do great xx – Britt_

Like a stupid teenager getting a text from a crush, Santana had nearly died when she'd read that. Maybe it was the two kisses at the end, maybe it was the way she could hear Brittany's soothing voice in her head as she read those words, or maybe it was the way she had said _baby. _Wait, yep, it was definitely the last part. It wasn't even the first time she'd said it, but there was just something about seeing it written down, or perhaps it was because of the conversation they'd had at the Halloween Party, but whatever the reason, it felt amazing to hear. That word had been sort of floating around Santana's head all afternoon, filling her with a warm, fuzzy feeling. She could tell Kurt and Rachel had been kind of freaked out when she'd skipped into the apartment after class with a goofy, lopsided grin plastered on her face, especially since she'd been the world's biggest bitch this morning. But they politely hadn't said anything – probably not wanting to ruin it – while Santana had waltzed around, chosen her outfit, got herself ready and skipped out the door again. She should probably mention at this point that they had found Kurt at around noon yesterday – he had passed out in the closet and had somehow managed to lock himself in there. All good now.

Anyway, here she now was, walking down the street towards Lola's. That's why Brittany had wished her good luck earlier, today was her trial shift. Actually, you couldn't even really call it that, it was more just to quickly run through a few things, show her the ropes, teach her how to make a few drinks – Puck had said it shouldn't even take more than about half an hour. Her first actual shift was on Thursday. Usually she'd be a little nervous, or just generally dreading the fact she was actually going to have to you know, _work_, but there was something about the fact that Brittany had got her this job. She couldn't be mad about it; it just kind of felt... special. So Santana was actually kind of excited. She was wearing black skinny jeans and a loose black shirt – she'd spent enough time in Lola's over the years to see what kind of thing the staff wore – and was now just rounding the corner to the bar. It was nearly five in the afternoon – Puck wanted to take her through everything while they were still closed, which made sense – but it was kind of weird going there when it was still light. When she saw the large red sign, she turned and headed for the back entrance as she'd been instructed to do. Her heart did a little flip and she couldn't help but smile when she found herself in the alley Brittany had dragged her into all that time ago. Pushing images of Brittany pinning her against the wall and attacking her lips to the back of her mind - she was a professional now after all - she pushed open the door that read _STAFF_.

Santana entered into a back room, which looked like a kind of staff hang-out. Lockers lined the walls, a coffee table sat in the middle surrounded by a few tired-looking sofas. It was pretty shabby, but kind of cool. Santana pushed open another door and found herself in a corridor which she recognised from when she'd been back here occasionally with Puck. His office was on the left and Santana was pretty sure there was a storeroom off to the right. She carried on down the corridor in the direction of the bar, in search for Puck. When she swung open the door, Santana's whole body tensed as she saw a flash of blonde hair. Not the same blonde hair which gave her warm, fuzzy feelings and tingles all over. _Oh no_. The short, preppy, Justin Bieber kind, which came accompanied by the largest set of lips ever owned by a human being. _Sam. _

_How the fuck had she forgotten he worked here? _She had been so caught up in the fact that she actually had a job, a job which _Brittany _had got for her, she had totally forgotten she would be working alongside Trouty-Mouth. Who, by the way, Santana hadn't spoken to since she pretty much assaulted him after dancing with Brittany. _Fuck. _Before Santana could turn round and make a break for it, Sam had noticed her and those giant lips of his were lifting into a smile. Clearly she hadn't managed to reciprocate it, because soon his grin faltered and he looked down awkwardly at his shoes.

"Listen, Trouty-Mouth, I'm just looking for Puck. Know where he is?" Santana said coldly as she came in and took a seat at the bar, trying her best not to let on just how awkward she felt right now. Sam looked at her with a quizzical expression from behind the bar where he was cleaning the beer taps.

"Uh…" He was still looking at her strangely. Santana rolled her eyes.

"I work here now. Puck's meant to be taking me through some things tonight, comprendes? Or do those enormous, swollen lips of yours not let you speak?" He chuckled lightly before shaking his head and putting down his dish cloth.

"Yeah, no I know what you're talking about. I mean, I may be pretty, but I'm not dumb." Sam grinned as he made an attempt at a joke. Santana didn't return the smile. "Okaaayy. Well, this is kind of awkward now, but Puck said he had some things to do so he asked me to run you through everything." _Oh. Right. _Santana stiffened and sat up in her seat, not really sure how to react. This was beyond awkward. On the one hand, she freaking hated this guy. She felt insane jealousy boil up inside her every time she saw him, and she was pretty sure he had feelings for Brittany. But on the other hand, Brittany had assured her that she would never go there, and she trusted her, she really did. Plus, she said Sam was her friend, so if they were friends, maybe Santana should be a little nicer to him…

"Look," Sam said with a sigh, snapping her from her thoughts. "I know this is awkward and you've never really taken to me. And that time when you saw me with Brittany… well, I never really got what that was about but anyway… it would be cool if we could get along." Seeing her folded arms and her cold stare, Sam sighed again and shrugged. "I mean, at least when we work together." He added more quietly. Santana took a deep breath, feeling she should probably clear the air – the guy was trying after all - but she still wanted to hold the upper ground.

"Okay, Froggy-Lips. Can I call you Froggy-Lips?" Sam went to open his mouth but Santana cut him off. "Thanks. Now I'm not gonna lie I wasn't really expecting to see you here tonight, so you caughts me a little off guard." _A lot off guard actually_. "But I feel I should probably, you know, apologise for the last time I saw you. It's just," She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I was getting my drink on and when I saw you getting all handsy with my-" _Shit. My what? Girlfriend? _She couldn't say that. She and Brittany hadn't discussed the whole girlfriend thing yet. Besides, she didn't know if she should really be the one telling Sam about anything going on between them. That was probably more for Brittany to decide. _Shit. _"-err my _home girl_, Britt, I just got a little mad. I get pretty protective over my friends. But anyways, I guess since we're working together now, we should probably… try to get along. And if you're friends with Britt, I guess you can't be horrible." Santana gave him a tight lipped smile, which Sam's simple brain seemed to register as them now being best friends because he grinned and held out his fist. _Oh god, a fist pump? Really? This guy is all kinds of lame._ Looking away awkwardly and hating herself, Santana lifted her fist and bumped it against Sam's, who grinned harder. Before things could get too chummy, Santana opened her mouth to speak again. "But if I catch you ogling my girl Britt again, I will ends you. M'kay?" Sam's eyes went wide and he nodded hastily like a little kid being told off.

"Y-yeah, I'm sorry I just… I was drunk and Britts is hot and I'm a guy so…" Santana shot him a glare and he lifted his hands up in defence. "B-but we're just friends, I promise. She's never been into me like that." Satisfied, Santana nodded before making her way behind the bar to join Sam.

"Okay, Guppy-Lips. Teach me what I need to know."

**…**

The past half an hour had gone by pretty painlessly. Although Sam was pretty dorky, and did the worst impressions Santana had ever seen, she didn't _hate _the guy. He meant well, and it was actually kind of awesome getting to hear stories about Brittany in high school. Sam told her about this one time she snuck Lord Tubbington into school with her and kept him in her locker all day, and kept having to excuse herself from class to go and feed him or you know, let him breathe. Her particular favourite though, was when Sam told her how Brittany had claimed she would go topless on Tuesdays during her campaign for Class President. It made Santana smile, and also made her wish she'd known Brittany in high school. Not because Tuesdays would have been awesome (which they totally would), but because the two of them were inseparable in elementary school, and she couldn't help but think how much more bearable high school would have been if she'd had her best friend with her.

Just as Sam was finishing up showing her where everything went, the door chimed open and they both looked up. Santana's heart melted when she saw Brittany skip into the bar, an enormous goofy grin on her face, directed solely at the Latina. Brittany had come to visit her after her shift. When Santana had replied to her ridiculously cute text earlier, she'd mentioned what time she expected to be done, but she didn't actually think she'd stop by. She could feel her cheeks hurting from how much she was smiling. Brittany's smile faltered, however, when she noticed Sam standing next to her behind the bar.

"Hey Britts!" He sung and Brittany stopped in her tracks, looking slowly between Santana and Sam with a slightly worried expression.

"Uh, hey. I didn't realise you'd be here." Brittany replied rather cautiously, still glancing between the two, probably wondering why Santana was smiling and why Sam was still in one piece. "Hey, Santana." She said, finding her smile again, but still looking rather confused as she took up a stool. Santana grinned and rested her elbows on the bar so that she was leaning in towards Brittany.

"Hey, Britt. Trouty here was just showing me the ropes." Brittany nodded slowly and glanced to Sam again who smiled.

"Yeah, and we smoothed everything out. This girl's pretty great you know." Sam said, nudging Santana on the shoulder. "She's really got your back, Britts. You're lucky to have her." Santana kept her eyes on Brittany, who looked from Sam and back to her as her face softened into that gorgeous smile again. Santana couldn't help but take note of the deeper meaning behind Sam's words, even if he hadn't meant it like that.

"Is that so?" She teased, playing with Santana's pinkie finger as Sam bustled around the bar. Santana just nodded, her eyes still fixed on Brittany who was still beaming. She looked so beautiful, she didn't want look away just yet. She'd missed her today.

"I missed you today." Santana whispered and Brittany smiled harder, leaning a little closer and still playing with her hand. It was weird, Santana had the biggest urge to kiss Brittany right now, and she didn't even care that Sam was right there. All she would have to do was lean over a little more. Brittany seemed to have the same thought, because Santana noticed blue eyes flicker down to her lips and then back up. Unconsciously, Santana poked her tongue out to wet her lips, still smiling hard and looking deep into blue eyes. Brittany's finger was now stroking light circles on her wrist, and the touch was holding her in this sort of trance, leaning over the bar, staring into Brittany's eyes and grinning stupidly.

"I missed you too." She breathed around an equally large smile and continued tracing soft circles on Santana's skin. Suddenly, Santana felt Sam's eyes on them, but again, strangely she didn't feel the need to look away.

"Whoa you guys look like you're…" He chuckled and shook his head. "Wait… holy shit, are you guys..?" Brittany's hand stilled and she turned towards Sam, who was gawping like an idiot. Again, it was weird. Santana didn't care. Maybe it was because she didn't know Sam, and didn't particularly care about his opinion, or maybe it was because she'd already told Rachel and Kurt so this didn't feel so scary, but whatever it was made her keep smiling as Brittany turned back to her. When blue eyes searched her own, looking for an answer or confirmation that this was okay, Santana smiled wider, nodded and took Brittany's hands in her own. Brittany beamed and squeezed her hands back.

"Y-yeah. We are." She said softly, still not taking her gaze away from Santana. Santana felt her heart swell as she heard those words fall from Brittany's mouth. They didn't explicitly say anything, and were as vague as her kiss to Brittany's hand had been when they'd told Kurt, but they still meant everything. She felt herself unconsciously leaning further over the bar, and watched as Brittany smiled before their lips connected. It was sweet and chaste, but it held with it all of the meaning of what had just happened. Santana smiled as Brittany hummed against her lips, and they finally broke apart, looking happily into each other's eyes. Sam coughed awkwardly beside them but neither of them looked up. They were both too caught up in this moment and the fact that they'd just kissed in front of someone.

"Right, well. I uh- I guess that explains a lot… I've gotta go, but- c-congratulations, Britts." He muttered clumsily before scurrying out into the back. The two girls giggled and kissed again.

"I really did miss you today." Santana said as she stroked her thumbs over the back of Brittany's hands. Brittany hummed in response and grinned.

"Did we just tell someone else?" Brittany asked, those blue eyes so bright and happy. Santana smiled and nodded. "Jeez, we're getting pretty pro at this." Brittany joked and Santana let out a giggle. "How was your trial?" She asked, her eyes still locked on Santana's.

"Awesome. I'm kind of a natural at mixing drinks." Santana said as she pretended to pop her collar. This time Brittany giggled, a sound which caused Santana's stomach to twinge deliciously. "But seriously, Britt-Britt. Thank you for this." She leant in and placed another soft kiss to Brittany's lips, who smiled against her. Santana was definitely starting to get used to this whole _kissing Brittany just because she could _thing. That thought made her smile harder. "Hey, Britt. I was thinking…" She began, suddenly shy as the speech she'd been preparing all day flew out of her head. "So, um… Kurt has, like, a date on Wednesday night… a-and Rachel has her Funny Girl Audition, and well, I was sort of wondering if you wanted to come over? We could get take out, or I could cook, and we could watch a movie or you know, whatever… or if you're busy or you don't want to or-" The rest of her words were swallowed by Brittany's lips as the blonde leant in and kissed her. Santana immediately relaxed and let out a little hum as Brittany lifted her hand to cup her cheek softly. When they broke apart, Brittany grinned and giggled a little.

"Santana, I will totally come over on Wednesday night." The Latina let out a breath and matched Brittany's wide smile.

"It's a date then."

**…**

Okay, what's the word for being completely freaked out, nervous, beyond stressed and totally excited all at the same time? Whatever it was, that would be how to describe Santana right now. In fact, that would probably be the word used for all three housemates on this particular Wednesday afternoon. Kurt had reached total panic mode as he bustled through the apartment, shouting various things about hairspray and curling tongs, as he freaked out about his date with Blaine - apparently one of Brittany's _'adorable' _friends who he met at the Halloween party. Rachel was also freaking out, although her reason was perhaps a little more justified than her roommates, seeing as her first Funny Girl audition was at 6.30. But still, she was being totally overdramatic. Not only had Santana been woken up the past three mornings by inhumanly loud run-throughs of _You Are Woman, I Am Man _at disturbingly early times, but Rachel had actually gone as far as to take a vow of silence in the last twenty-four hours. Apparently to 'rest her voice'. Although very amusing to watch her sprinting through the apartment, frantically grabbing sheets of music and freaking out in general, whilst staying completely mute, it was also extremely irritating. Especially as all Santana needed right now was some advice about her date with Brittany.

It was actually kind of nice that she could now talk to her roommates about Brittany, even though they were extremely annoying and hadn't stopped asking questions since the Halloween party. Apparently since Kurt now also knew, Rachel had decided she no longer needed to be subtle and kept making ridiculous _Aww _sounds and mushy faces whenever the blonde's name was mentioned. But still, it was nice not to have to hide her feelings anymore, at least around them. And let's just say she hadn't exactly been playing it cool about her upcoming date. When the realisation that she had actually asked Brittany out on a real date, and that they would be alone in the apartment all evening, finally hit Santana last night, she was actually kind of grateful that Kurt had been there to settle her nerves.

**…**

_"Satan. You need to calm the hell down! You're starting to freak me out and I already have a date of my own to worry about!"_

_"But there's just so much pressure Kurt!"_

_"I know, but you just need to-"_

_"Oh god, what if she doesn't like meee?"_

_"Seriously, Santana? You sound about five right now."_

_"What if she doesn't turn up? Oh god what if she realises this whole thing is a bad idea and I'm left all alone in the apartment, forced to eat a meal for two by myself, hopes and dreams crushed, drowning my sorrows with a bottle of wine and-" Suddenly Santana felt a sharp pain across her face. "Did you just… slap me?"_

_"Yes. You needed it."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Now get your shit together woman. Brittany adores you and you are going to have a wonderful date. And hopefully my date will go just as wonderfully and you two will be able to have the apartment to yourselves for the entire night. If you catch my drift…"_

_"Ew. Okay, this conversation is over."_

**…**

So she admitted she had perhaps overreacted a little, but this was serious stuff. She wanted tonight to go perfectly. Santana hadn't spoken to Brittany all day (unless you count the flirtatious text messages they'd been exchanging constantly) and she couldn't wait to see her and to have her all to herself. Kurt would hopefully be gone all night, even though the thought of that made Santana want to throw up in her mouth, and Rachel had her audition and would then be staying with Tina since she and Mike lived pretty close to where her audition was. So Santana was beyond excited, and definitely very nervous about the fact that Brittany would be staying the night. Just them. No interruptions. And she hadn't even picked out an outfit yet. _Shit._

"Hummel I need your help!" Santana yelled from her place on the couch as she heard Kurt rummaging around in the bathroom. Her make-up was done, she had curlers in her hair and she was just in her bathrobe. "_Hummel!_" She shouted louder when there was no answer.

"I'm busy! Go ask Rachel!" _Ugh. _Santana sighed and rolled her eyes as she heaved herself off the sofa and made her way cautiously to Rachel's room, where she could hear the all too familiar sounds of vocal exercises. _Dear god, help me._ She tentatively pushed open the door to find Rachel sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, going through various strange voice warm ups. Recovering from the ridiculous sight in front of her, Santana took a step forward and cleared her throat.

"Um, Berry, I need your help with what to wear tonight for my-" She was cut off by Rachel bringing a finger to her lips. _Did she just shush me?_ "God, it'll literally just take two minutes." She couldn't actually believe she was asking Rachel of all people for fashion advice, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Santana watched as Rachel sighed dramatically, opened her eyes and began scribbling something on a pad of paper_. _She lifted up the notepad and Santana read aloud what it said.

_I HAVE TAKEN A VOW OF SILENCE. _

"For the love of- Berry, I _just _heard you singing." Rachel sighed again as she flipped the page and began writing something else.

_THAT WAS NOT SINGING. THOSE WERE VOCAL EXERCISES. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL._

Jesus Christ. This was probably the most annoying way to have a conversation with someone. "Okay, fine. But do you think dress or jeans? You don't even have to say anything, just draw a fucking picture or something." Rachel rolled her eyes and flipped over the page again. Without even writing anything she held up the notepad.

_GO AWAY SANTANA. _

Wait, did she already have that one prepared? "Did you already have that one prepared?" Rachel turned the page again.

_YES._

Dear god. This was definitely not worth it. How was it possible that Rachel was even more annoying than usual without actually speaking? Santana shook her head and mumbled a _good luck_ to her ridiculous roommate before spinning on her heels and turning towards the door. Just as she was about to leave the room, she felt a sharp object hit her in the back. Santana spun around, all ready to beat the crap out of Berry for throwing her pen at her, but stopped herself when she saw she was holding up her pad of paper with what looked like a very poorly drawn pair of jeans on it. She rolled her eyes and smiled, thanking Rachel before running off to her room to get changed. And making a mental note never to be on Rachel's team if they ever play Pictionary.

**…**

An hour later, Rachel had finally left after a grand total of three nervous breakdowns, Santana was ready, dressed casually in black jeans and a low-cut top, and Kurt was just about to leave for his date with Blaine.

"Sooo, how do I look?" Kurt asked as he did a strange sort of pirouette thing in the kitchen. Santana was pretty sure this was at least the fifth outfit he'd tried on.

"Fine." Santana muttered without even looking up from her seat at the island. She was far too concerned with the fact that it was ten to seven, and Brittany was expected to arrive in ten minutes. _Ten minutes._

"Santana, you didn't even look at my outfit." He said with a huff, folding his arms across his chest. "I want your real opinion." She sighed and looked up from her phone which she'd been staring at for the better part of fifteen minutes, expecting it to light up any minute with a message from Brittany saying she couldn't make it.

"You mean aside from the scarf?" He rolled his eyes and nodded, before doing another weird twirly thing. "You look great, Hummel. Blaine isn't going to be able to take his eyes off you." Santana said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Seemingly satisfied, Kurt nodded. A few minutes of silence later, he began pacing back and forth.

"I just really want tonight to go well. Blaine is so dreamy and _so_ right for me, and we had the best conversation the other night. We just clicked you know? Oh and I bet he's going to look so cute-"

"Look Lady Hummel. As happy as I am for you and every other gay citizen in the state of New York that you have bagged yourself such a _dreamy _guy, I really don't want to hear the details. And your nervous pacing is giving me a headache." She glanced back down to her phone. _6.53. Holy shit. Seven minutes._

"Aw, is someone a little nervous for their date with Brittany?" He cooed and Santana shot him a glare. "Okay, okay, no need to look at me like that. I'm sure it'll go wonderfully. You look divine, dinner is the oven and Brittany is going to love it." Santana let herself smile a little. She had decided to cook for Brittany, and was planning a chilled out evening, drinking wine and chatting, maybe watching a movie or two. Very low-pressure. But also cute. And romantic. And hopefully with some sexy time at the end… "I still can't believe that all this time Santana Lopez actually played for my team..." Kurt mused as he took out a compact mirror and began readjusting his hair. "I'm almost hurt that you didn't tell me." He added as he lifted his hand to his heart in feigned offense.

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly know myself, Hummel." Santana responded with a shrug and got up to peer into the oven for the thousandth time. Kurt nodded and put his mirror back into his purse. _Yes, he had a purse._

"I can understand. Although I guess I always had my suspicions. So…" He began, shifting a little awkwardly and suddenly finding his shoes extremely interesting. "Dare I ask if Quinn knows?" The unexpected words caused Santana to whip her head up to glare at him. It's almost like he could tell she'd been putting off telling her.

"Um… I don't know." He looked at her strangely before she rolled her eyes and continued. "I mean, Q's always known a little about my… _tendencies. _But I don't think she _knows. _And she definitely doesn't know about me and Brittany. At least I hope she doesn't. Shit, is she gonna freak when I tell her?" Out of everyone, Santana knew Quinn the best, and she thought she probably already knew the answer to that, but it might be nice to have an outsider's opinion. However, just as Kurt opened his mouth to respond, the door buzzer sounded. _Ohmygod. _Santana all but sprinted over to the front door and pressed the button to let Brittany into the building.

"She's here!" She practically screamed at Kurt who almost stumbled backwards. "And so are you! Shit, why are you still here?" Kurt walked over to her, took a deep breath and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Santana, listen to me. You are a strong, confident woman. And you can do this." He recited, looking straight into her eyes.

"You sound like one of those quit smoking commercials." Santana deadpanned. "But thanks. I'm just kinda nervous." She added, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Do you need me to slap you again?" Kurt asked in all seriousness and Santana shook her head with a chuckle. A knock startled them both and Santana turned her head to stare at the front door. She shouldn't be nervous. She wasn't really, she was more excited than anything. It's just this date felt so _real. _Sure, they'd been to Breadstixx, and had that picnic at the lake, but that was when everything was still all so new. Tonight felt even more special. "Santana? Jesus, open the door woman." Santana, realising she'd been frozen to the spot and just gawping like an idiot at the door, shook herself from her daze and took a deep breath.

"Hey!" Brittany sung around an enormous grin and it was enough for Santana to wonder what the hell she was so nervous about. This was _Brittany. _Beautiful, sweet Brittany who was looking incredibly sexy right now. She was wearing grey jeans and a blue jumper, and an adorable bobble hat sat on top of her long, slightly wavy hair. She was really working that _I didn't make an effort but still look super hot thing._

"Hi." Santana responded around a large smile. She let herself get lost in blue eyes for a moment, blue eyes which were so bright and happy to see her, and found herself leaning forward. Suddenly not caring that Kurt was still here, Santana placed a soft kiss to Brittany's lips. She felt the blonde smile, a little surprised by the action but very much okay with it. When she pulled back, Santana would have closed the door and done it all over again just to recreate the goofy smile on Brittany's face right now.

"I brought wine." Brittany announced, still grinning. "Quinn said it's your favourite." Santana melted as a little blush crept across that beautiful face.

"Thanks, Britt-Britt." She was pretty sure her face was going to start hurting soon with how much she was smiling as she took the bottle of red being held out to her. Suddenly Brittany looked a little awkward as she glanced over Santana's shoulder with a strange expression. Wait, why was she looking-

"Aw, aren't you two just adorable?" Santana whipped around to see Kurt standing right behind her, staring at the both of them with a creepy smile.

"Kurt. Leave. Now." He lifted his hands defensively and grabbed his purse before squeezing past them and out into the corridor. He yelled for them to have a nice evening with a knowing smirk before Santana slammed the door.

"Sorry about that, Britt." Santana said and Brittany let out an airy giggle. "Now come here, I missed you."

**…**

"Oh my god! Santana, this is incredible!" Brittany practically groaned as she shovelled her second helping of carbonara into her mouth, causing Santana to giggle. She and Brittany were sat on the sofa, eating their dinner with a glass of wine and chatting away happily. She couldn't help but think this date was going perfectly. "Why did you not tell me you cooked?" Santana thought for a second before leaning in and narrowing her eyes, as if letting Brittany in on a secret.

"See, Britt, I have to be very careful when it comes to people finding out about my culinary skills." Brittany nodded very seriously and Santana sucked in her lips to stop herself from smiling. "Otherwise Hummel and Berry might find out and stop cooking stuff for me." Santana added with a grin as she helped herself to another mouthful of pasta, which she had to admit was pretty fucking good. Brittany shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Well your secret's safe with me." She replied with a smile before groaning again as she took another mouthful. "Where did you learn?" She asked, genuinely interested as she took a sip of wine.

"My abuela taught me. She used to force me to help her with whatever she was cooking. I remember how she used to go through each recipe step by step until I knew it off by heart. I secretly loved it though. It was always my favourite part about visiting her." Santana said with a shy smile as she took a sip of her own wine.

"Aw I can just see a tiny Santana running round with a little apron on! You must have been so cute!" Brittany squealed and Santana grinned, thinking that she was pretty sure _Brittany _was the cute one.

"I was pretty cute…" Santana said with a causal shrug which made Brittany laugh.

"And you still are." Brittany replied, a tiny blush creeping over her cheeks which Santana thought was adorable. She set down her bowl on the coffee table and turned to face Brittany properly, quirking an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" The blonde nodded.

"Yup." Brittany said matter-of-factly as she placed her bowl next to Santana's. Santana grinned and shook her head.

"More?" She questioned, grabbing the two bowls and standing up from the couch.

"Wine? Definitely." Brittany responded with a smirk and Santana chuckled before making her way over to the kitchen area. What was she so nervous about? This was so _easy._ "So Rachel's got her Funny Girl audition tonight? That's amazing." Brittany called as Santana dumped the bowls in the sink and grabbed the bottle of wine from the fridge.

"Mm yeah." She filled up Brittany's glass and her own as she sat back down.

"She must be super nervous. How's she been handling it?" Santana took a swig of wine and eyed Brittany over the rim of her glass.

"How you do think?" Brittany giggled and lifted her leg up onto the sofa to face Santana properly. "Try being on the other end of a full blown Rachel Berry rant, only she's not speaking in order to rest her voice, so the whole thing is done in gestures and sign language. It's a freaking wonder she made it to the audition with her face still in one piece." Brittany laughed softly, a sound which went straight to Santana's stomach and warmed it deliciously. She was sure she could listen to that laugh all day.

"So Kurt has a date, huh?" Brittany asked, pulling Santana from her little bubble.

"Oh, yeah. With a friend of yours actually. Blaine? Apparently they met at the Halloween party. Guess we now know where Lady Hummel disappeared off to for half the night." Brittany's eyes widened and her lips curved into an excited smile.

"Blaine? Ah, that's so great for Kurt! He's the best!" She squealed, jumping up and down in her seat. "I mean, he wears some super weird bowties but still, he's so nice! He was really good friends with me and Sam at school." As soon as she mentioned Sam's name, Santana noticed Brittany's smile falter a little. The blonde looked worriedly down at her glass. "Sorry about Sam by the way… I completely forgot about him working at Lola's, and I had no idea he'd be doing your trial shift. And now you guys have to work together and I feel so bad and-" Santana swallowed the rest of Brittany's words with her lips. She felt Brittany relax and sigh into the kiss as she gripped around the Latina's neck to steady herself. Santana eventually pulled back but held Brittany close, looking deep into those blue eyes.

"Britt, you worry too much." She watched as Brittany's lips curved up into a bashful smile and couldn't help but place another quick kiss there before continuing. "I don't care about Sam. In fact, I know he's your friend so I kind of apologised to him." Brittany let her mouth drop open a little in feigned surprise.

"Santana Lopez apologised?" Santana grinned and rolled her eyes at the playful teasing, before settling back into the sofa and taking Brittany's hand to rest in her lap.

"I said kind of. But yes, we're fine now. And you have nothing to feel guilty for because _you," _She placed a soft kiss to Brittany's palm."Got me this job, and I can't tell you how much that means. So stop worrying and drink your wine woman." Brittany giggled and obeyed, taking a large gulp of red wine, enough to fill her cheeks and make her look like a chipmunk which Santana couldn't help but laugh affectionately at. _This girl just keeps getting more adorable._

**…**

Okay so this was Santana's favourite date ever. Scratch that, this was her favourite _evening _ever. They hadn't even done anything particularly special, it was just _Brittany. _The two of them had drunk wine whilst chatting and flirting easily for the past couple of hours, occasionally stealing quick kisses and exchanging bashful smiles, and now they were curled up under Santana's duvet on the sofa well into their second movie. Santana couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be right now.

Usually Santana loved Mean Girls, and she hadn't been able to hide her goofy smile when Brittany said she'd chosen it because it was Santana's favourite, but right now she couldn't really concentrate on her favourite film. Santana was far too preoccupied with how close Brittany now was to her. Throughout the movie, Brittany had slowly inched closer and closer. First, she'd just lifted her legs onto the couch and snuggled a little against the Latina's shoulder, but now she was lying with her head in Santana's lap, humming appreciatively as she slowly stroked her fingers through soft blonde hair. Santana couldn't help but smile happily as she remembered many a sleepover when they were little that would end up just like this. Brittany had always said how much she liked it when Santana played with her hair, as they stayed up late and watched movies which they'd seen a thousand times. Only they would end up not really watching them at all, instead exchanging stories and telling each other secrets. Santana loved those nights, and couldn't help but think of the amazingness of being here with Brittany, all these years later as if nothing had changed.

"Can you tell me a secret?" Brittany asked in a relaxed voice above the soft sounds of the TV, as if just reliving the same memories as Santana. The Latina smiled to herself as she continued to lazily comb through blonde hair.

"A secret?" Santana asked around her grin.

"Mm yeah. You know, like we used to." Santana hummed in thought as she twirled a strand of blonde around her fingers.

"Um… I really like you. Like, _really _like you." She said in a shy voice, feeling a slight blush heat her cheeks. She knew that sounded kind of corny, but that's what was in her head, so she said it. Santana smiled as she heard Brittany chuckle softly.

"Not really much of a secret, Santana. But still cute." Santana grinned harder and rolled her eyes before nudging Brittany's shoulder.

"Okay, then. You go." Santana peered over to see Brittany's brow scrunch up adorably as she thought hard.

"Hmm… okay, I have one." Santana watched, amused at how Brittany began to shift awkwardly in her lap. "Um… you were sort of…like… my firsmmnkmsn…" She quickly mumbled the last part as she buried her face into Santana's thigh.

"What was that, Britt-Britt?" Santana asked around an amused grin as she tried to pry the embarrassed blonde away from her hiding place. Brittany muttered something incoherent again and Santana couldn't help the affectionate laugh which escaped her lips. _Brittany was just so goddamn cute right now._ "Britt!" She breathed around her laugh, prodding the blonde's sides who eventually sat up, an adorable blush on her cheeks. Brittany knelt back, fiddling shyly with her fingers and biting her lip before rolling her eyes and smiling bashfully.

"You were kind of my first… _kiss_." Brittany announced as she hid her face in her hands. Santana felt herself unconsciously smiling at her adorable words as she shifted herself to face Brittany and pull her hands away from her face.

"How do you mean?" She asked softly to the blushing blonde as she took her hand in both of hers.

"Well, you remember that one time in like the fifth grade… when I said I was scared about kissing Jerry Goldman and you… you said you'd show me?" Santana nodded, smiling as she remembered how her best friend had been in such a panic when she'd heard Gerry was going to ask her out. The young blonde had rushed over to Santana's house after school and sat in her room in a complete fluster, saying she had no idea if she was a good kisser or not. Santana felt herself blush a little as she recalled the way she'd placed her hands on her friend's cheeks, leant in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. When she pulled back, she remembered how Brittany had smiled, and how Santana had told her that that was how to do it, and that she had nothing to worry about. "Well… that was the first time anybody had kissed me… I never told you that." Santana felt herself smiling again, and couldn't help the way she was so lovingly staring at the blonde. "It's stupid." Brittany muttered and looked down, embarrassed.

"It's adorable." Santana corrected and affectionately squeezed the hand she was holding between her own. In fact, it was probably the most adorable thing Santana had ever heard, and she couldn't ignore the sense of pride she felt that she had been Brittany's first kiss. It felt kind of… right. Brittany finally lifted her gaze and those blue eyes found Santana's again. "I'm honoured, Britt." Santana added with a grin and watched those beautiful pink lips curve up into a smile. Santana couldn't stop herself as she leaned in and kissed them, soft and delicately, just like she had done all those years ago. When they broke apart, Santana lifted a hand and stroked it gently over Brittany's soft cheek, before pushing a stray strand of blonde behind her ear. Brittany hummed quietly, a sound which warmed every inch of Santana's body, and leaned into the Latina's touch. "You know… that kiss meant so much to me. I don't think I quite realised how much at the time, but it's like… even then, when we were too young to understand… I think we kind of always knew there was something more, you know? That it _meant _so much more." Santana stated softly, surprised at the truth of the words which she'd never been able to find. Brittany nodded and laced her fingers through Santana's.

"Do you believe in fate?" Her blue eyes flicked between Santana's own, searching softly.

"I think now I do." Brittany smiled at Santana's response. The Latina's breath caught in her throat as Brittany gently ran her hand along her jaw, resting it behind her neck as she pulled her in towards her for a deeper kiss. Their lips connected and Santana melted. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the way it made her feel when Brittany kissed her. She loved it. She loved _her._

"I love you." The words just sort of left her mouth as soon as Brittany's lips did. _Oh my god. Did she really just say that?_ She knew she'd been thinking it, she'd been thinking it for a while now, even if she hadn't quite realised it, but she hadn't meant for it to just come out. Santana looked to Brittany, whose eyes were wide and staring back at her with a surprised expression. Shit, was it too soon? This was what, their third date? They weren't even officially together yet. No, Santana knew it was so much more than that. Brittany had been her best friend ever since the blonde had helped her up after falling over in ballet class, and she was pretty sure she'd loved her ever since. She _loved _her. "I love you, Britt." Santana decided to say again, partly because she wasn't a hundred percent sure she hadn't imagined it the first time, and also because Brittany still hadn't said anything. She was just looking back at her, her lips slightly apart, her eyes boring deep into her own. "I- I'm _in _love with you, Brittany. I think I always have been." Santana was surprised at how confidently she spoke considering how completely terrified she felt on the inside. A good terrified though, if that makes sense. She let her eyes close as she continued. "A-and you don't have to say anything. I just- I need you to know. Because you mean so much to me, and you're my best friend and… and no one has ever looked at me the way you do, or made me feel the way you do. And I never want to lose you again, I- I love you." Santana couldn't believe how much she was pouring out, how much of herself she was letting show, the kind of emotions she usually kept so safely locked away. But she wanted Brittany to hear it, she _deserved _to hear it. When she finally opened her eyes, all the air disappeared from her lungs as she saw the way Brittany was looking at her. Beautiful blue eyes were glossed over with unshed tears and staring at her so softly, and her lips were curved up into a wide smile.

Brittany took Santana's other hand, which was shaking slightly, into her own and held it tight. "I love you too, Santana." _Oh. My. God. _Santana let out a deep breath and felt an enormous smile stretch across her lips when she heard what she was pretty sure were the best words she had ever heard, or would ever hear again. Brittany _loved _her. _Brittany _loved _her. _Would it be weird to cry right now? Okay, yes, don't cry. "I am so in love with you. I always have been. And… even though we lost each other for a bit, I know now that I was always meant to come back to you. I _love_ you." Santana scooted herself closer to Brittany, still feeling herself grinning stupidly.

"Can I kiss you now?" She whispered as she watched Brittany's lips quiver in response, barely allowing her to breath out a quiet _yes_, before she crashed her lips onto hers. Santana's eyes fell closed and she let herself melt into a deep, passionate kiss. Tingles shot through her body at the way their lips moved so perfectly together and their tongues brushed against each other's, and she knew then in that moment that they belonged together. They always did. When they broke apart, Santana opened her eyes and caught her breath again, because this was the girl she loved, and the girl that loved her, and she couldn't look more beautiful right now.

"Say it again." Brittany whispered with an enormous smile. Santana leaned in, closing the distance between them once more, and ghosted her lips ever so lightly over the blonde's.

"I…" Santana placed the softest of kisses to Brittany's lips. "…love…" She kissed her gently again, watching her eyes flutter closed. "…you." Santana lifted her hand to brush through blonde hair and pulled her hard against her lips.

_Yep, definitely best date ever._

**…**


	18. The Quinn Thing

HEY GUYS! So sorry for the unusually long wait, I've been crazy busy with exams. I debated over whether or not to post this yet, because it's just a bit of an in between chapter with not a whole lot of plot, but seeing as you guys have already waited long enough I thought I'd post it anyway! Soo thank you for the reviews, especially naynay1963 and AlabamaMiles - definitely some of the best reviews yet! Really appreciate hearing what all you guys think, thank you. Also, I've decided to jump on the tumblr bandwagon, so check it out Ejoy! x

Chapter 18:

Santana had to admit, life was pretty fucking fantastic right now. She'd been working at Lola's for a couple of weeks and she was kind of surprised how much she was loving it. Well you know, as much as anyone could really love work. Her shifts were usually every other evening so fit in with her studies fine, and she was mostly behind the bar, mixing and serving drinks. Sure, the pay wasn't incredible, and she'd had to get used to a few pervy customers with their crude attempts at pick-up lines and extremely unsubtle leering after one too many jack and cokes, but it was easy work. She got tipped well (she'd learnt it didn't hurt to wear a shirt with a little extra cleavage on show), it was awesome having Puck as her boss, and her friends were in there often enough having a drink and keeping her entertained. And of course, Brittany stopped by whenever she could to keep Santana company (and she definitely didn't object to the low-cut shirts).

So things were looking pretty great. Firstly, it looked like they were going to have enough money to keep the apartment, at least for now. Also, Kurt was all mushy and loved-up with Blaine, who Santana had decided was a pretty decent guy, despite his ridiculous taste in bow-ties and far too over-enthusiastic use of hair gel. Rachel had gotten a call-back for Funny Girl, so was of course over the moon. Santana had to admit she was happy for her friend, even though it meant the early morning vocal warm ups had gotten even louder and more unbearable, and her apparently constant need to be in character was intensely annoying. But still, Santana was proud of her. And as for her and Brittany, everything was pretty damn perfect. It had been two amazing weeks since she'd told her she'd loved her, and Santana had hardly been able to get that night out of her head. Even now, as she was standing behind the bar at Lola's, absentmindedly wiping the same spot with her dishcloth over and over again, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to that insanely perfect evening.

**… **

_"I love hearing you say that." Brittany said around an enormous grin as she played with Santana's hand, who was sitting facing her on the sofa. _

_"You do, huh?" The Latina smiled, staring lovingly at the blonde who she hadn't been able to tear her eyes away from for the past ten minutes. Brittany nodded, looking up and meeting her gaze. "In that case, I love you." Santana said with a smile, shuffling a little closer. _

_"It sounds kind of amazing." Brittany laced her fingers through Santana's, a huge grin fighting its way across her lips. "And totally sexy." She added and bit down on her bottom lip. Santana felt herself heat up just from the way Brittany was now looking at her, blue eyes tracing slowly over her features, studying every part of her, lingering at plump lips before flickering up to brown eyes again. _

_"Y-yeah?" Santana managed lamely in response. She could feel her breathing picking up already and her skin was burning where Brittany's fingers were playing with her hand. Without warning Brittany put a hand on Santana's shoulder and swung one leg over her, straddling her lap. Santana's breath caught and her hands instinctively went to sit on the blonde's waist. _

_"Yeah." Brittany traced a finger slowly over the bare skin of Santana's shoulder, stroking it over her collarbone and dipping it down between her breasts, exposed by the low neckline of her top. The touch caused a shiver over Santana's body and she glanced up to meet blue eyes, darkened with lust and a tiny smirk on Brittany's face. "And it really turns me on." Brittany added in a low whisper as she leant down and placed a soft kiss just under the brunette's jaw. Santana felt her eyes flutter close and her hands moved around to rest on Brittany's lower back, gently pulling her closer. _

_"Brittany…" She breathed, loving the feeling of the blonde's lips pressing light kisses all over her neck. Brittany lifted her head to look at Santana and smiled, staring at her with a look Santana knew she would never get tired of seeing._

_ "I love you." Brittany whispered, leaning in close so that their lips were barely inches apart. _

_"I love you too, baby." Santana replied a little breathlessly, her lips ghosting over Brittany's with the softest of touches. Brittany grinned before gripping the Latina's neck and pulling her hard against her lips. Santana's hands gripped Brittany's back tighter as she pulled her flush against her body. A moan escaped her as their mouths parted to deepen the kiss and Brittany's tongue found hers immediately. Santana felt the desire growing within her as Brittany arched into her, breasts pressed against hers, breathing heavy. Their lips moved against each other's almost desperately, hands exploring frantically as the room suddenly seemed to get a thousand degrees hotter._

_ Brittany broke the kiss and began to once again attack Santana's throat, sucking and nipping, spurred on by the gasps and moans filling the apartment. Santana gripped Brittany's hips hard and pulled her even tighter against her, another wave of heat rushing over her as she felt their centers press together. _

_"We're alone… all night, right?" Brittany mumbled breathlessly as she continued to suck at her pulse point, eliciting another groan from the Latina. Santana, completely overcome by desire and want, only managed a hum in response, but that was all the confirmation Brittany needed as she began tugging aggressively at the bottom of Santana's shirt. Santana lifted her arms and Brittany abandoned her assault on her neck for a second to pull the garment up and over her head. She smiled for a moment before she returned her lips to Santana's throat, sucking and nipping as her hands began to explore her tanned stomach. Santana's whole body heated up as Brittany's fingers traced over the smooth skin of her abdomen, softly tracing the contours of her abs and leaving burning trails behind them. Santana could now feel the heat gathering between her legs, she needed more. She let her hands slide under the material of Brittany's jumper, feeling the soft skin of her waist. Brittany immediately sat back and pulled the top over her head, tossing it to the floor and smirking as Santana's eyes raked over her toned stomach and pink lacy bra._

_ "You're beautiful." Santana breathed as she ran her hands up and down the blonde's sides, before leaning up and claiming her lips once again. She heard Brittany whimper quietly into the kiss. She could tell Brittany was just as turned on as she was as she began slowly grinding down into her, moaning softly each time their centres came into contact. Fuck, this was hot. Santana was so filled with desire and need; this was the girl she loved, and she needed so badly to show her that. As they continued to kiss deeply and passionately, Santana's fingers scratched lightly over the soft skin of Brittany's back, inching upwards to find the last piece of material covering those perfect breasts. With quick and shaky hands she unclasped her bra and let it slide down her arms. Brittany sucked on Santana's bottom lip before releasing it wetly and sitting up, letting her bra fall onto her lap and discarding it off the couch. Santana's eyes instantly fell to her breasts, round and perfect, as she slid her hands slowly up her toned stomach, watching the muscles quiver under her touch. Another wave of heat flooded over her, watching Brittany's eyes flutter closed as her hands made their way up to cup her boobs. Santana watched in awe as Brittany's mouth parted slowly, a small gasp escaping from it as she ran soft fingers over her nipples, which hardened almost immediately under her touch. She leaned up to find Brittany's lips again, swallowing her gasps in a deep kiss as she continued to stroke and pinch her hard nipples. _

_"Fuck-" Brittany cursed breathlessly against her lips, grinding down again and arching her chest into her touch. Santana broke the kiss and began aggressively kissing and sucking at the skin of her neck, another wave of arousal flooding through her. It was so hot hearing Brittany swear like this because she hardly ever did. Santana continued her rough kisses down her throat and over her collarbone and Brittany's hand shot up to grip dark hair, guiding her down gently. Santana more than willingly obliged, one hand continuing to kneed Brittany's breast as her mouth moved down to the other before taking the nipple in her mouth and sucking gently. Brittany gasped, much louder this time, her fingers gripping tighter in brown locks as Santana's tongue flicked out and swirled around the bud. "God- that feels amazing Santana!"_

_ All Santana could think about was how turned on she was right now and how fucking hot it was hearing Brittany gasp and moan like this. She released her nipple, before dusting soft kisses across to the other and wrapping her lips around it, receiving a high-pitched whimper from the blonde. She sucked hard and Brittany rocked down into her, more forcefully this time, causing Santana to groan as their centres made contact once more. She poked her tongue out again, flicking it over her rock hard nipple and felt Brittany shudder against her as she ever so lightly grazed it with her teeth. She sucked hard once more, before releasing it wetly and lifting her head to capture Brittany's lips again. The kiss deepened immediately and Brittany's tongue slid into her mouth as they both inhaled sharply through their noses. Santana felt her stomach twinge with arousal as Brittany's hands moved behind her back and swiftly undid her bra. Santana broke the kiss to pull it off completely and toss it onto the sofa beside them. The girls stared at each other, exposed chests heaving, eyes dark with lust, before grinning and reconnecting their lips again. Santana had to break away almost immediately though to moan when Brittany's hands slid up her stomach and cupped the curves of breasts. Her breathing caught when Brittany's thumbs swiped over her already hard nipples, before pinching them between her fingers._

_ "Ugh, Britt, that's- yes that's so good-" She panted as Brittany continued to play with her nipples and suck at her neck. Brittany was so fucking good at this and Santana knew she was already wet. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage as Brittany trailed her tongue down her throat and over her collarbone before flicking it over her nipple. Santana's eyes fell closed and she gasped as Brittany continued to flick the end of her tongue over her rock hard nipple, jolts of pleasure rushing through her each time. She opened her eyes to look down and saw Brittany looking up at her, smirking before wrapping her lips around her nipple and sucking. Hard. "Holy fuck-" Santana threw her head back against the sofa, relishing the amazing feeling tingling all over her body. She heard a wet pop as Brittany released her nipple and lifted her head to place soft kisses at the corner of her mouth and under her jaw. Santana shivered when Brittany's hot breath tickled her ear as the blonde whispered huskily. _

_"I love you, and I want you so bad right now." Santana roughly captured Brittany's lips and kissed her deeply, reaching down to her own jeans and unbuttoning them swiftly. Santana gasped against her lips as she felt Brittany's hand trailing slowly down in between their bodies before dipping under the fabric of her underwear. She moaned in pleasure and relief as Brittany's finger parted her folds and ever so lightly circled her clit. Brittany broke the kiss to gasp and hooded blue eyes bored into Santana's own. "Wow. You're so wet." She husked as she dragged her finger down the length of her folds and back up to that sensitive spot. Santana couldn't speak; her breathing was way too heavy and she was way too turned on right now. She knew she was wet, this was possibly the wettest she had ever been. "Is this all for me?" Brittany asked, a mischievous smile on her lips as she continued to tease her finger up and down, hovering around her entrance. All Santana could do was nod frantically and let her eyes fall closed again._

_ Her eyes shot open and she looked down, confused, when she felt the hand retreat from her underwear and Brittany lift herself off her. Her heart rate picked up again however when Brittany knelt on the floor in front of her, that wicked grin still plastered on her lips. Brittany's hands hooked the waistband of her jeans and Santana lifted her hips so that she could pull them all the way off, taking her underwear with them. She felt herself shiver as Brittany ran her hands softly up and down her thighs, before gripping behind her knees and pulling her towards her so that she was sitting on the each of the seat. If this was anyone else, Santana would have felt totally vulnerable right now, sitting legs parted, open and exposed, darkened blue eyes boring into her. But this was Brittany. And the way the blonde was now staring hungrily at her exposed centre turned her on so much. Brittany's hands continued to softly stroke Santana's tanned thighs as she looked up to meet brown eyes._

_ "Is this… have you ever done this before?" Brittany's voice was husky and she sounded so turned on right now, but her eyes were searching hers with so much love and care. Santana shook her head, her breathing still heavy and heat still pooling between her legs._

_ "N-no." Santana replied, her voice a little shaky. It was true, she'd never done this with a girl before. She'd always felt that was one step too far and it had never been a line she'd been able to cross. Doing all that other stuff with girls was one thing, but this just seemed so… intimate._

_ "Do you… want me to?" Brittany asked gently, blue eyes still searching her own. Santana nodded embarrassingly eagerly causing a soft smile to appear on Brittany's lips. She had never been able to bring herself to do this before, but right now, seeing Brittany between her legs, there was nothing she wanted to feel more."You're gonna love it. And you look super hot right now by the way." She said, placing a soft kiss to the inside of Santana's thigh. She shivered at the feeling of Brittany's lips so close to her heat. Brittany's hands gripped her thighs as she continued to press kisses on their soft skin, the throbbing between Santana's legs almost unbearable now. She watched Brittany shuffle closer and gently push her legs apart, all the while not breaking eye-contact. She stopped breathing entirely when Brittany placed the softest of kisses to her center._

_ It was like nothing she had felt before. Brittany ran her tongue slowly through her folds as Santana moaned appreciatively, locking her arms and leaning back on them. Back arched, head thrown back, Santana gasped as Brittany's tongue traced soft circles over her most sensitive spot. As much as she instinctively wanted to screw her eyes shut tight, Santana forced herself to open them and look down, and holy fuck- She was so glad she did, because it was insanely hot seeing Brittany with her head between her thighs._

_ "Oh my- Fuck!" Santana moaned loudly as Brittany began flicking the tip of her tongue over her clit, sending a delicious wave of pleasure through her each time. Brittany moved down and Santana gasped when she felt her tongue push inside of her. "Ugh- That feels… so… good, Britt-" She felt Brittany hum against her, sending vibrations through her and more waves of pleasure. She was pretty sure her body couldn't deal with this. Brittany's name left her lips over and over as her tongue continued to thrust inside of her and it took all Santana's restraint not to buck her hips up wildly into those soft lips. Her mind went completely blank however when Brittany moved up and wrapped her lips around her clit, sucking hard. "G-God…" It felt so amazing Santana could hardly stand it. She knew she was close. When Brittany's tongue poked out again and flicked over her sensitive spot, Santana's hand shot up to her head to hold her in place, feeling an overwhelming pleasure shoot through her. "Oh god- right there! Baby, please don't… stop- ugh!" Santana gasped as Brittany began flicking the tip of her tongue repeatedly over her clit. "I- I'm gonna…" Santana could feel herself about to come undone, her whole body tensing as waves of pleasure began to rock through her._

_"Let go for me baby." Brittany said softly against her, before wrapping her lips around her clit again and sucking hard. Santana held her breath and finally found her release. Her hips bucked up and her whole body froze as she came hard with a gasp of Brittany's name._

_ Brittany continued to gently stroke her tongue over her, letting her ride out her orgasm before sitting up, licking her lips and falling next to Santana on the couch. They lay there for a few moments, breathing still heavy, as Santana recovered from her high. "Oh my god." Santana said eventually, a lazy smile stretching over her lips as she pulled Brittany close to her. "That was…"_

_ "Incredible." Brittany finished for her, wrapping her arms around Santana's waist and pulling her into a deep kiss. Santana moaned a little as she tasted herself on Brittany, feeling arousal tug at her stomach again. Without warning, she flipped them and straddled Brittany, who was now lying flat beneath her on the sofa. She stared down at her with a devilish smirk._

_ "Your turn." _

**… **

"Lopez!" Santana was jolted from her delicious memory when she heard Puck's voice from behind her. "That guy's been waiting for a drink for ten minutes. Get your ass in gear!"

"Oh, calm your tits Puckerman." Santana replied with an eye roll, trying her best to push thoughts of a naked Brittany out of her head and hide the fact that she was now decidedly turned on at work. She swung the dishcloth over her shoulder and poured whiskey into a glass before sliding it over to the middle-aged man at the end of the bar with her sweetest smile. Lola's was pretty quiet seeing as it was just after 7 on a Wednesday evening; some of their regulars were sat at the bar and a few couples were drinking and chatting quietly in some of the booths. Santana liked it like this; she liked the time to relax and think before the bustle of the night started and the bar would begin to fill up.

Her peace and quiet was interrupted again however, when Puck ordered her to go and get some more rum from the storeroom. She huffed, although she was more than happy to get away from the leering of the creepy man she'd just given a drink, and pushed open the swing door to the back. She began searching the shelves of the dark storeroom for the brand of rum they needed, and just as she let her mind drift back to delicious images of Brittany, she felt familiar arms snake around her waist.

"Hey you." The way hot breath hit the back of Santana's neck as the words were whispered in her ear really didn't help her turned on state and sent tingles throughout her body. Santana turned around in Brittany's arms to face her and felt a goofy smile appear on her lips as she met those beautiful blue eyes staring back at her. Brittany had been at class most of the day, and was still in her dance gear, wearing grey sweats and a tight blue tank top. And looking extremely sexy.

"Britt, you know you're not meant to be back here." Santana told her, although her enormous grin was anything but threatening. Brittany stuck out her bottom lip playfully as she began to fiddle with the material of Santana's white shirt.

"I know, but I missed you today." She said sweetly, her gaze fixed to where her fingers were toying with the hem of the Latina's blouse. Santana couldn't help but smile at her adorable words and lifted a hand to stroke Brittany's cheek softly.

"I missed you too, baby." She whispered, cupping Brittany's face and pulling her in for a soft kiss. She heard Brittany sigh happily against her lips as the arms around her waist pulled her closer. She felt Brittany's hands snake under the material of her shirt and heat flooded through her as soft fingers brushed over her stomach. Brittany deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue inside Santana's mouth and receiving a moan as she brought her hands up to squeeze her breasts over the fabric of her bra. "Britt-" She gasped. Brittany hummed in response as her hands continued to explore Santana's toned stomach and knead at her breasts. Santana's head was spinning deliciously while Brittany's warm tongue fought against her own, her fingers continuing to leave burning trails all over her skin. She could barely think straight as Brittany pushed her hard against the shelves and began attacking her throat with her lips. All Santana knew was that she was far too turned on right now and that they really shouldn't be doing this at work. She'd been back here way longer than it took to get some rum and Puck would probably come looking for her soon.

"Britt." Santana whispered, gently pushing at Brittany's shoulders to create some much needed distance between them. Brittany removed her lips from her neck and took an unsteady step backwards, looking back at her with darkened eyes and an adorable pout. "W-we should stop." Santana said shakily, the look in Brittany's eyes making it very hard for her to sound convincing. Brittany bit her lip with a coy smile and pressed herself into the darker girl again.

"Yeah, we probably should." She agreed, although the way she was staring at Santana's lips and hovering her finger just above the waistline of her jeans said otherwise. Santana lost all internal battles with herself and inhaled sharply when Brittany hooked her finger in her belt loop and pulled her closer.

"I'm… I'm at work." Santana breathed out as Brittany's mouth ghosted over hers. Brittany simply nodded as she took Santana's bottom lip in her own and sucked gently. "P-puck might come in." Brittany nodded again before kissing her fully and sliding her tongue into her mouth once more. So not fair. How the hell was Santana meant to argue when Brittany kissed like _this?_ She hummed against the blonde's lips and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her flush against her.

"Lopez, where the hell- oh." The two girls jumped apart, Brittany stumbling backwards a little as Puck suddenly barged into the dark storeroom. Santana straightened out her shirt and frantically slid a hand though her messy hair, looking down at the floor as a blush crept over her cheeks. Brittany looked similarly embarrassed. "So this was why it was taking you so long." Puck said with a wicked grin as he eyed the two flustered girls. "Now as hot as this is, _believe me_," Santana rolled her eyes. "You're meant to be working right now, and I need you and your fine ass behind the bar. And that rum." He added, pointing at the shelf stacked with bottles behind Santana, before chuckling and turning towards the door. "Good to see you, Blondie." He winked at Brittany over his shoulder as he disappeared out of the room. Santana let out a deep breath and turned to Brittany, shooting her a mock glare and making her giggle.

"Sorry." She said innocently with a grin, but Santana knew she really wasn't sorry at all. "Yeah, right." She replied sarcastically, matching her smile as she grabbed two bottles of expensive rum off the shelf. "I hope you're happy that you got me all hot and bothered and now I have to go work." She added with a playful pout, walking over to the door before turning back to Brittany.

"Aw baby, I'm sorry." Brittany cooed, smiling as she stroked Santana's face. "I can't help it though, you look so sexy today." Santana's heart warmed with her words and she leant up to place a chaste kiss on pink lips.

"So do you." She replied with a grin as Brittany scrunched up her nose and glanced down at her own outfit.

"Santana, I'm just in sweats. I've been dancing all day and I'm all sweaty and gross." Santana kissed away her pout, before pushing some stray blonde hair behind Brittany's ear and smiling widely.

"You always look sexy." Brittany rolled her eyes as a slight blush crawled over her cheeks. "Now I gotta go, otherwise I'm gonna kiss you again and Puck will get another eye-full." She added with a grin and Brittany chuckled. "Will you be back later?"

"Yeah. Rachel's coming with, and Blaine said he and Kurt may drop by for a drink." She told Santana as she followed her out of the door and into the corridor. "And… Quinn says she might come." _Oh._ Brittany noticed her worried expression and squeezed her reassuringly on the arm. "Sweetie, it's okay. I know you need more time before you tell her. She just said she wants to see you 'cause you guys haven't hung out in a while. It'll be fine. I'll tell the others not to say anything, okay?" Santana nodded and tried her best to smile. Brittany gave her a quick kiss and told her she'd see her later, before disappearing out of the back exit. Santana took a deep breath before swinging open the door to the bar.

It's not that Santana had been _avoiding_ Quinn exactly. It's just that she'd been really busy recently with work and school, so she hadn't had much time to see her. Quinn had been busy too, what with her end of year exams coming up, so she was constantly in the library or studying. But all Santana knew was that the idea of telling her oldest friend about her and Brittany terrified her. She wasn't even sure why. Maybe it was because she'd known Quinn the longest; they'd grown up together and she knew almost everything about her, so perhaps Santana felt guilty for hiding this from her closest friend. Or maybe it was the fact that Quinn had never exactly been _approving_ of Santana's fluid sexuality. Or, and Santana thought this was probably the most likely reason, it was because Quinn had been wary of Santana getting too close to Brittany ever since she came back into their lives. She'd practically said that Santana wasn't good enough for her, and that she would only have a bad influence on the innocent blonde. Okay, so maybe she _had_ been avoiding Quinn. A little. It's just, the longer it went without her saying anything, the harder it got. And now everyone else knew – Rachel blurted it out to Tina and Mike after one too many cocktails – and Quinn was going to be even more pissed that she was the last to find out.

Santana sighed heavily as she stacked the bottles of rum under the bar and then began wiping the beer taps clean. She knew she had to tell Quinn. She just had no idea how, or what the hell she was going to say. Brittany had been wonderful and so patient, saying Santana could have all the time she needed. But Santana knew she found it awkward since she lived with Quinn and was close to her, and she hated not being able to give Brittany everything she deserved.

Santana rested her elbows down on the bar and took a deep breath. She was not looking forward to seeing Quinn later. It just meant a night of having to hide her feelings for Brittany, something she'd been enjoying not having to worry about lately. Their friends had gotten used to their coupley behaviour, cuddling and kissing and all that other mushy stuff which Santana used to find sickening up until now. She had turned into one of those people she hated; the loved up, stupid romantic types, and she had to admit she'd never been happier. But now she was going to have to hide all that tonight because she didn't have the balls to tell her best friend she was in a relationship with a girl. _"Fuck."_ She muttered under her breath, sighing deeply.

"Jesus, what's up in _your_ grill?" Puck asked, eyeing the Latina who hadn't realised he was now stood beside her.

"Nothing." Santana lied, pouring a beer and heading over to place it in front of the guy gesturing towards her at the end of the bar.

"Bullshit, Lezpez. I know you better than that." Puck replied, his eyebrows raised, staring the Latina down as she busied herself with mixing a vodka soda for no one in particular. When she still didn't answer, Puck sighed and stepped closer to his friend. "You seemed pretty happy a minute ago. What happened bud?" Santana took a deep breath and stared down at the drink in front of her.

"Quinn." She stated simply, not sure what else to say. Puck look confused for a second before his face softened in realisation.

"Oh."

"Yeah, _oh."_ Santana repeated, grabbing the drink and throwing half of it back in one gulp. She set it back down on the bar and breathed deeply.

"Because you're my friend, I'm gonna ignore the fact that you're drinking on your shift," Puck said with a small grin. "And ask you to talk to me. Quinn still doesn't know, huh?" Santana shook her head and turned to face her friend, who was leant with one arm on the bar, studying her carefully.

"No. And I haven't got a clue how the fuck I'm gonna tell her." She explained with a frustrated sigh. "I want to, I really do. For Brittany, and for me… I- I fucking hate having to lie to her."

"Then what? Just tell her." Puck said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Santana shook her head and took another gulp of her drink, letting the strong liquid soothe her a little.

"I just… I'm scared." She whispered almost inaudibly. Puck laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Dude, listen to me. You and Quinn have been buddies forever. She's here for you, we all are. She's not gonna judge you, okay? And you know what, if she does? Screw her." Santana chuckled and Puck grinned, happy to finally see his friend cheering up. "Just tell her. And if she has a problem with it, I'll beat her ass. Or you know, maybe you should. It's wrong to hit a woman." He added with a grin and Santana nudged his arm playfully.

"Thanks, Puckerman." She said sincerely, feeling herself a lot calmer now. "Who knew you were actually a decent human being?" She teased and he lifted his hand to his heart in feigned offense.

"Hey! Puckersaurus can be charming when he wants to be. Now get your lazy ass back to work and stop overthinking things!" Santana nodded and saluted him. He chuckled before he disappeared into the back again. Okay, she could so do this. She could tell Quinn. No big deal. She would walk right up to her and just tell her. Or maybe it would be better to do it over the phone? Or leave her a note…?

_Fucking hell_.

**…**


	19. The Only Exception

HEY GUYS. Tried to get this done as fast as I could, but I've been slightly caught up in a daze since the 100th episode - as I'm sure most of you were! That. Kiss. Oh my god.

Anyway, hope you like this chapter. Quite a lot goes down, but don't worry it'll be smooth sailing from here on out! Please please please keep reviewing, and check out my tumblr: feel free to inbox me about the story or any random questions!

Enjoy and try not to die of feelings after next week's episode!

Chapter 19:

**...**

The past couple of hours had been pretty non-eventful. As the autumn sun disappeared outside and it slowly grew darker, the bar had begun to get busier. Music was now pumping through the speakers and the room was filling up with the familiar, upbeat atmosphere which Santana loved about Lola's. It was a warm and friendly bar, where everyone always seemed to be having a good time. However, the sounds of happy laughter, clinking glasses and animated conversation which Santana usually found comforting and uplifting, were only putting her more on edge this evening.

As she'd been dealing with the growing numbers of customers, taking orders and mixing various drinks, her head had been constantly spinning with thoughts. While she usually enjoyed joining in with the happy atmosphere, smiling and chatting with customers while she served them, right now she felt distracted, overwhelmed with the over-analysing thoughts flitting around her brain. Santana had been running over endless possibilities of what she might say to Quinn, how she should tell her about her and Brittany. She felt like a child again, trying desperately to find the right way of telling her parents about getting an F on that paper, or the time she'd been caught smoking at school. She had all these different speeches planned out in her head but each one seemed to sound more pathetic than the last; nothing sounded right. She felt like she should be in one of those lame-ass movies where the girl practices over and over in front of the mirror before asking her crush out. She let out an exasperated sigh, for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, and handed another customer a beer, not even bothering to smile as she took his money.

What Santana had realised is that there really weren't any words. She couldn't explain this to Quinn any more than she could explain it to herself. It just happened. How do you begin to put into words something that has just always been there? It had always been Brittany. Santana loved her and she always had, for as long as she could remember. They may have been too young back then to realise exactly what that meant, but it had always been_ something_. They had always shared that special bond, that _connection_, which no one else had or could ever understand. And even though they had lost each other for a while, that had always remained, just sitting quietly under the surface until they found each other again.

That was what Santana needed to explain to Quinn, but she had this overwhelming feeling that her friend was going to react badly. She could just see Quinn getting angry, focusing on all the things that this wasn't. Quinn had always been a very rational and level-headed person, a complete opposite to Santana, whose fiery Latina side always ran away with her feelings, good or bad. Quinn wasn't ever really one for deep emotions, or at least showing them; she'd been in various relationships but none of them dug very far beneath the surface – she'd liked people sure, but she'd never been in love with anyone. Ever since Santana had known her, she'd always been this determined, driven girl who knew exactly where she was going, and didn't have time for any of that other stuff.

Santana screwed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated at not being able to figure out the girl she'd known almost her entire life. Everyone always saw Quinn as somewhat of a mystery; Kurt had affectionately named her The Ice Queen in high school, because she always hid her emotions so well. And that was something Santana used to admire in her, but just this once she wished her friend was a little easier to read.

Just then, Santana heard an all too familiar high-pitched squeal and looked up to see Rachel bounding towards her with a terrifying grin on her face. _God, she did not have the energy for this._

"Santanaaa!" Santana's eyes widened a little, slightly taken aback with the sheer volume of Rachel's voice as she pushed past various people who were clearly in her way.

"I'm right here Berry, no need to scream." Santana replied dryly, although she couldn't help but smile a little. She was actually kind of relieved to see her friend. She desperately needed distracting from her own over-analytical thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rachel waved her hand in the air as she heaved herself up onto a bar stool, very flustered and out of breath. Santana chuckled at her roommate's giddiness as she bounced up and down in her seat, the enormous grin still not leaving her face. "I just… had to come and tell you… right away!" She got out breathlessly before inhaling deeply a few times in an attempt to get her breathing back to normal.

"Jesus, what's got into you?!" Santana asked with a grin, amused by her friend's evident excitement. "Is Barbara Streisand outside or something?" Rachel's eyes immediately widened and she began twisting on her stool, frantically glancing around her.

"_What? _Oh my god! Where?!" She practically yelled and Santana couldn't help but laugh.

"I said, _is _she." Santana chuckled and shook her head as she grabbed a root beer for Rachel. "But good to know you'll be totally cool if you ever do happen to meet her." She added sarcastically and Rachel rolled her eyes. Santana caught sight of Kurt walking through the door and she waved to catch his attention. He spotted his two friends and waved back, a slightly exasperated look on his face as he made his way over.

"Christ, Rachel. Was it absolutely necessary to sprint the last two blocks?" Kurt asked as he came over and stood next to his friend at the bar.

"Sorry Kurt, but you know this was just too exciting to wait!" Kurt's face softened into a smile and he nodded in understanding. He proceeded to pull up a stool and clasped his hands together in equal excitement. The two of them just sat there, grinning stupidly at Santana who just stared back with confusion. _Okay, what was happening?_

"Seriously guys, what the hell is going on?" Rachel glanced at Kurt before turning her attention back to Santana.

"Okay. What could I possibly tell you right now that would be the utmost best news in the entirety of the world?" Her voice was all high-pitched and squeaky, like she was finding it almost impossible to contain her excitement. She looked at Santana expectantly, eyes wide and still grinning ear to ear.

"Uh… you decided to move back to Israel?" She said around a grin.

"Oh for goodness sake, Santana! No, be serious. What would be the one thing I could tell you that would be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to any of us?" Santana stared at her blankly, puzzled and yet amused by how dramatic she was being. "Oh, come on! Imagine the one thing I've been waiting for my entire life. The one moment every single event up until now has led me to, the pinnacle of my career, the-"

"She got Funny Girl!" Kurt practically yelled, interrupting Rachel. She shot him a glare.

"_What?" _Santana's eyes went wide in disbelief and she dropped the dishcloth she was holding.

"Kurt, I wanted to tell her!" Rachel whined and slumped her shoulders, pouting.

"I'm sorry, it's just you were taking forever and I couldn't hold it in any longer." He responded with a shrug and took a gulp of her root beer.

"Hold up. Berry, are you serious? Like is this for real?" Santana stared at Rachel, smiling widely. Her friend nodded and squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Holy shit, that's freaking amazing!" Santana lunged over the bar and enveloped her roommate in a somewhat clumsy hug. She squeezed her tightly, as best she could over the counter and squealed into her ear. "Oh my god! This is fucking incredible!" Santana let her go and leaned back, glancing between her two friends. "How? I mean just- when did this happen?"

"About half an hour ago. The producer called and told me I got it and I totally freaked out!"

"And then she insisted on rushing over here immediately. I didn't even get time to finish my hair." Kurt added with mock annoyance.

"Well I should think so too. This is awesome. Seriously, Berry, I'm really happy for you." Santana told her with sincerity. Rachel smiled warmly and thanked her. "Like 90% happy, 10% jealous." She added with a grin and Rachel laughed. "Now let's get rid of this," She pushed the root beer aside. "And get you a proper drink. We needs to celebrate!" Rachel and Kurt clapped their hands in excitement as Santana began mixing some cocktails. Rachel beamed widely as she took the pink drink Santana handed her, complete with a cute little paper umbrella. "Thank god for some good news!" Santana said dramatically as she gave Kurt an equally girly looking cocktail. Kurt eyed her with confusion.

"Why, what's up?" Santana sighed and looked to her two friends.

"Let's just say we have a very interesting evening ahead of us. Brittany's coming… And so is Quinn."

"Oh." Kurt and Rachel both said in unison.

_Yep. Oh._

**…**

Santana drummed her fingers on the table, her knees bouncing up and down anxiously as she desperately tried to control the nervous energy coursing through her body. She was taking a small break and was now sat at their usual booth, along with Rachel, Kurt and Blaine, who had shown up not too long ago. The other three were engrossed in animated conversation about Rachel's new big role, chatting excitedly about all that this would mean for her career and joking lightly about her becoming a big celebrity and forgetting all about the rest of them.

Santana was trying to remain interested, and she was of course insanely proud of Rachel (if not a tiny bit jealous, but you know, whatever), but she couldn't help the growing sense of anticipation looming over her. Brittany had texted her about 20 minutes ago saying they were leaving, so they should be here any minute. Brittany. And Quinn. And not to mention an increasingly tipsy Rachel, who had a history of blurting things out after a few too many cocktails. And she was easily on her third right now, plus half way through a glass of champagne. Santana could hear her giggling stupidly next to her. It only made her feel more anxious and she began drumming her fingernails even harder on the surface of the table. Kurt, clearly sensing his friend's tension, leaned across the table and put his hand over hers, stilling its movements.

"It's going to be fine, Santana. We won't say anything. Relax, okay?" Santana lifted her gaze to meet his and offered a small smile, although she knew it was hardly convincing. Blaine tapped Kurt on the shoulder.

"Can I check one more time, just so I get it right? Santana's dating Brittany. But she doesn't want Quinn to know?" Kurt nodded. "And Brittany's living with Quinn. And… the three of them have been friends for ages, so… wait, why don't you want Quinn knowing?" Blaine looked towards Santana, who opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. _Why didn't she want Quinn knowing? _She wasn't ashamed of Brittany, far from it. She just knew Quinn, and she knew how she would take this.

"It's complicated." Kurt answered for her and rolled his eyes, not going unnoticed by Santana who shot him a glare. Just then, Rachel squealed beside her and jumped up out of her seat.

"Quinn! Brittany!" Santana's stomach flipped. Her fingers started up their nervous drumming again as she shifted awkwardly in her seat. She glanced down to her lap, over her shoulder, anywhere really that didn't involve looking at the one person she was dreading seeing right now. She heard Brittany squealing and Quinn congratulating Rachel, before looking up to see them approaching the booth. Her eyes instantly found Brittany's and the blonde gave her a comforting smile. Santana immediately felt herself relax. She was still amazed how with just one look, Brittany could make her feel so much better. It was like that smile said so many words, speaking to her in a way nothing else ever could.

"Hey, Britt. Hey Q." Santana greeted them as casually as she could after tearing her eyes away from those magnificent blue ones. Brittany said _hey_ back, before squeezing into the booth next to Kurt, greeting him and Blaine warmly. Santana chanced a glance at Quinn who sat down next to Brittany. "So… how are you? I haven't seen you in ages..." She said somewhat awkwardly, feeling the nervous energy bubbling up inside her again. Quinn looked at her, before closing her eyes and sighing deeply. She looked tired. Her face was a little paler than usual and the rings around her eyes were still noticeable even under her make-up.

"Fine." Quinn replied shortly when she opened her eyes again. Santana opened her mouth to say something to fill the slightly awkward silence but Quinn beat her to it. "I need a drink." She stood up quickly and turned towards the bar without another word.

"What's got her panties in a twist?" Kurt asked as he took a sip of the champagne they'd ordered to celebrate.

"Her paper didn't go so well today." Brittany answered simply with a shrug. "She's kinda pissed about it." _Perfect. _Just what tonight needed - Quinn in one of her foul moods.

"Great." Santana muttered under her breath. Rachel gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Well I won't allow her to be in a bad mood!" She said positively, holding up her champagne glass. "Tonight we are celebrating!" Santana sighed deeply and looked down to her lap, knowing that despite Rachel's best efforts, nothing would be able to change Quinn's mood. She was stubborn as hell when she got like this. Santana felt her phone buzz in her pocket and a small smile appeared on her lips as she lifted it to see a text from Brittany.

_Try not to be nervous baby. You look too pretty tonight not to be smiling __J__ - Britt_

Santana glanced up to see Brittany smiling softly at her, and once again she felt some of that nervous energy melt away. _How did she always know exactly the right thing to say? _She returned her smile, grateful that Brittany was here with her. Sure, she wished she could be holding her and wanted more than anything to feel those lips against her own, soothing and comforting her like they always did, but right now it was enough to know that she was there.

Quinn soon returned to the table with a shot in one hand and a drink in the other. She knocked back the shot quickly, wincing a little as the strong liquid hit her throat, before washing it down with a large gulp of her vodka soda. The group remained awkwardly quiet, sensing the tension emanating from the blonde and watching her aggressively gulp down her drink. Kurt raised his eyebrows and shook his head disapprovingly.

"Exam didn't go too well then?" Rachel asked in a far too cheery voice and Quinn shot her a glare. Santana almost wanted to laugh at how Rachel's attempt to lighten the mood had come out disastrously tactless. She looked up to see Brittany sucking her lips in, her too clearly trying not to snigger.

"No it fucking didn't." Quinn snapped and took another large gulp of her drink. "Noah wants to see you by the way." She added coldly, turning to Santana. The Latina thought about asking why, but decided against it. She would much rather get the hell away from this awkwardness.

"Cool. Probably the end of my break." She replied, shuffling past Rachel out of the booth. "I'll come find you guys soon." She added, glancing quickly at Brittany and smiling at her discretely before she left and headed over to the bar. She waved politely at Sam, who was busy serving customers, and pushed open the door to the back where she saw Puck sitting in his office.

"Hey bud." He greeted her as she walked in and lifted herself up to sit on his desk. "Please do take a seat." He added sarcastically with a chuckle. "First, how's it going with Fabray? All good?" Santana grimaced, picking up the stapler on his desk and fiddling with it as she spoke.

"She's in one of her moods." She said simply, turning the stapler over in her hands.

"Right." Puck nodded in understanding.

"Yeah. Something about a bad paper. Just my fucking luck." Santana scoffed and returned the stapler to the table. "It's awful. Like seriously so awkward out there. Ugh I hate my life!" She wailed dramatically causing Puck to chuckle.

"You're overthinking things. Just keep cool and pretend as if everything's normal. And anyway, I have something that might cheer you up." He added with a sly grin. He gestured for Santana to take the chair opposite him, so she slid off the desk and sat down. "So, the reason I asked you to see me…"

"Jesus, I feel like I'm in the principal's office." Santana joked and Puck rolled his eyes.

"Hey, this is exciting. You're gonna want to listen. So, we have some investors at the bar tonight." He began as he leant back in his chair and folded his arms. "Like, hot-shot, fancy, mega loaded investors. And if they're impressed, they're gonna invest some money so we can look at doing that revamp we talked about." Santana smiled, sitting forward in her seat and crossing her legs.

"Puck, that's awesome!" Puck matched her grin and nodded.

"Yeah. So the reason I wanted to talk to you, is that I think some live entertainment would really seal the deal." Santana's eyes went wide as she realised what he was getting at. "So I want you to sing. Tonight." _Holy shit._

"Tonight?" Santana was a little taken aback. Sure, she was excited about the idea of performing at somewhere like this, but _tonight?_ She had expected a little more notice. And maybe a night when she wasn't dealing with so much drama. Puck nodded.

"Yep, tonight. Up for it? I'll really owe you one, Lopez. And of course you'll get extra pay for performing." Santana took a moment to consider before taking a deep breath and nodding hesitantly. This was the kind of break she'd been waiting for, there was no way she could turn it down. Besides, it might actually be a nice distraction from all the Quinn drama.

"I'll do it." Puck grinned and fist pumped the air.

"Awesome! You're a life saver bud."

"Yeah, well. Lucky you have such a wonderfully talented friend." She joked as she stood up from the chair and headed towards the door.

"That I do." Puck replied with a chuckle. "I'll put together a set list and let you know. I know the kind of songs you sing so it'll be cool. Around 11 sound good? You can relax 'till then." Santana smiled and thanked him before heading out the office and back into the bustling heat of the crowded bar. When she returned to their booth, she saw her friends deep in conversation. Quinn was chatting as the others listened and Brittany was shifting a little awkwardly in her seat. Santana furrowed her brow, wondering what they were talking about. Brittany looked very relieved when she saw Santana appear at the table and scoot in next to Rachel again. Quinn had stopped talking and was now looking at Santana, an odd sort of smile tugging at her lips.

"Maybe Santana will know." She said, almost a little menacingly. Her foul mood seemed to have faded a little, but Santana could tell she was still on edge. She could also tell Quinn was a little drunk, by the way she took a little longer than normal to focus on her and was speaking a little louder than necessary.

"Know what?" Santana asked, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

"Who Brittany's fucking." _Sorry, what?_ Santana's mouth fell open. _Did Quinn actually just say that?_ She'd said it like it was the most causal thing in the world. _What the actual fuck?_ Santana glanced around the table to see the expressions on her friends' faces and to check she hadn't imagined that. Rachel and Blaine were both looking down at their drinks awkwardly, Kurt was giving her a sort of sympathetic look and Brittany's cheeks were a deep shade of pink. Quinn continued to stare at Santana, eyebrows arched and a small smirk playing at her lips. "Well?" Santana could feel her heart beating faster and the heat crawling up her cheeks as all the attention was suddenly directed at her. She felt trapped and exposed at the same time.

"What?!" Santana choked out, not entirely sure what she should say.

"Oh come on! You two practically spend every waking minute together. You _must _know." Quinn pushed, resting her elbows on the table as she leant forwards towards Santana. Her angry mood seemed to have been replaced with an unpleasant desire to make others feel uncomfortable. Santana knew this side of Quinn well. She used this technique all through high school. It was a way of deflecting the attention away from her; she would make others feel uneasy in order to feel better about herself.

"Quinn." Santana warned, seeing right through the blonde and her 'playful' teasing. She glanced to Brittany, who was still looking very uncomfortable and embarrassed. Santana suddenly felt very protective. "This isn't fair on Britt. Let's change the subject." She saw Brittany smile gratefully at her, but Quinn wasn't dropping it. Her smirk only grew wider, as if enjoying the knowledge that she was making Brittany embarrassed.

"No. I wanna know who's been making her walk around looking all doe-eyed and loved up for the past couple of weeks. It's quite adorable really." Brittany blushed again and Santana wanted to rush over there, hug her tight and shower her with kisses for how ridiculously cute she was. She felt an odd sense of smugness knowing that she was the reason for Brittany being _all doe-eyed _recently. Santana then caught herself, forcing herself not to smile adoringly and that blonde and turned to face the other. "Isn't that right, Brittany?" Quinn continued with a patronising tone. "You've been texting someone non-stop and refuse to tell me who it is. You've practically been skipping around the apartment, and you're always staying over at _Sam's_." She put up her fingers and air quoted Sam's name. "Ooh wait, is it Sam?" Brittany whipped her head up and glared at Quinn, seemingly getting irritated.

"Okay, first of all, when people do that thing with their fingers," Brittany imitated Quinn's air quotes. "I never know what that means." Santana couldn't help but giggle quietly at how freaking adorable Brittany was sometimes. All the time actually. "And second of all, I am _not _dating Sam. Gross." Santana laughed a little louder this time and grinned at Brittany who smiled back.

"Good. So let's just drop this okay? And get back to celebrating." Kurt said, acting like a mother intervening on a fight between her children. "Santana, another round?" Santana nodded and stood up, relieved to have another chance to leave the awkwardness surrounding the table.

"Britt-Britt. Let's go get drinks." Brittany smiled gratefully and squeezed past Quinn to get out of the booth. "But maybe no more for this one." Santana gestured towards Quinn who shot her an irritated glare. She led Brittany over to the bar, to the end furthest away from their table and they sat down. She let out a deep sigh.

"Well that was awkward." Brittany joked lightly, bringing a small smile to Santana's lips.

"You can fucking say that again." Santana replied and Brittany grinned.

"Well that was awkward." Santana chuckled and rolled her eyes at Brittany's silliness.

"Dork."

"But you love me." Brittany replied with a playful grin which Santana matched immediately.

"Yes I do." She looked into Brittany's eyes for a few moments, letting herself relax and some of the tension escape her. "I'm sorry about how shitty tonight is. I do have some exciting news though." Brittany sat up in her seat and looked at her excitedly. "I get to perform tonight." Brittany's eyes went wide and her lips stretched into an enormous smile.

"Baby, that's great! I'm so proud of you!" Brittany pulled her into a tight hug and for a moment Santana let herself forget all of the stress of the evening. She nuzzled her head into Brittany's neck, taking in her sweet smell and letting her touch sooth her like it always did.

"You don't want to make Sam jealous." The two girls jumped and pulled apart when they heard Quinn's voice behind them. Santana cleared her throat awkwardly, feeling as though she'd been caught out.

"Let it go, Q." She said warily, looking away to try and hide her blushed cheeks.

"I don't want to let it go." Quinn's voice had that playful, yet somehow threatening tone to it again. She pulled up a chair next to Santana and eyed her and Brittany carefully. "I just don't think this is the kind of thing one should hide from their closest friends." Santana gulped. Quinn's words were spoken slowly and carefully, and the weight of them hit Santana hard. She was completely right. Brittany looked down at her hands embarrassed. She fiddled with her fingers as she tried to think of something to say.

"I- I just… Well…" She trailed off, still looking down at her lap. Santana instantly felt guilty. It was her fault that Brittany was feeling this way. All because she didn't have the balls to tell Quinn about them. _Fuck._

"You shouldn't keep secrets from friends." Quinn continued, not willing to let this go. "Especially not about things like this. And especially not from your close friends. And definitely not from people you live with." Brittany was still averting her gaze, looking anywhere but at Quinn. Santana was just sat there, not quite sure what to do. Her heart was beating fast as Quinn continued to press the sensitive subject. Her mind was spinning with worry and guilt and total confusion. She also felt so angry at the way Quinn was bullying Brittany. "Come on, Brittany. God, just fucking tell me!" Quinn was starting to get frustrated now, the alcohol exaggerating her hand gestures and increasing the volume of her voice. Santana balled up her fists, feeling the anger growing inside her. She hated hearing anyone talk to Brittany like this, let alone one of their oldest friends. Brittany continued to stammer helplessly.

"I, uh… Quinn, I-I don't know what to say."

"For fucks sake, stop being so pathetic! Just tell me. I'm your friend, and you're lying to me!" Quinn's voice was fully raised now and it was making Santana angrier. _How dare she shout at Brittany like this?_ "Jesus. I don't see what the problem is! Why can't you just fucking tell me who it-"

"_It's me!" _Santana practically yelled, before freezing with the sudden realisation of what she'd just said. _Oh shit. _Brittany whipped her head round to look at her with a mixture of confusion and surprise. Quinn stared at her, mouth agape and eyes wide, not saying anything. Santana's heart was now pounding in her chest, she was hot and the air around them suddenly felt too thick. "Fuck." Santana muttered under her breath and shook her head. _That wasn't how it was meant to come out. _"Look, I… It's me, okay?" She glanced nervously at Quinn again. Her expression had changed from shocked to strangely neutral. She didn't say anything, just looked slowly between Santana and Brittany, studying them almost. Santana could hardly breathe. She had no idea why she had just blurted it out like that and no idea what she should say from here. Her whole body felt constricted, like she was underwater and gasping for air. It wasn't until she felt Brittany's comforting hand on her knee that she finally took a much needed breath. She glanced at Brittany who nodded reassuringly before facing Quinn again. "Look." Santana began, trying and failing to control the shakiness in her voice. Her nerves were going crazy. "I… this wasn't how this was supposed to happen. This wasn't how I meant to tell you but-"

"When _were _you planning on telling me?" Quinn's voice was calm and measured, but laced with an uneven tone that told Santana she was holding back anger.

"I, um…" Santana stammered nervously. She actually had no idea when she was planning on telling her.

"Hmm? When _exactly _were you planning on telling me that you're _screwing_ one of my best friends?" Quinn's voice was laced with venom and her biting words stung Santana.

"_Excuse me?_" Santana was taken aback by Quinn's harsh words.

"I was just wondering when I was going to find out that it's _you _that's been fucking Brittany! Are you such a slut that you can't even keep it in your pants around your friends? Or my roommate for that matter?" Quinn was shouting now, glaring at Santana, and a few people in the bar were starting to look at them. Santana didn't know what to say. She imagined Quinn getting pissed, but she had no idea she would talk to her like that. She was hurt, but she felt angry more than anything.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Santana asked through a clenched jaw as her hands balled up into tighter fists.

"I called you a fucking slut, Santana." Quinn spat back. Santana was about to respond when Brittany stood up beside her.

"Don't talk to her like that." Brittany spoke calmly but her voice was firm. Quinn smirked, seemingly amused by the prospect of Brittany jumping to defend Santana.

"Why?" Quinn asked, still smirking as she folded her arms and looked up at Brittany. "She is a slut. You would know. She's the one _fucking_ you." Santana watched the situation before her unfold. Brittany took a step closer to Quinn and glared down at her.

"We're not just _fucking _Quinn." At this Quinn scoffed unpleasantly. "This is more than that." Santana smiled briefly hearing Brittany say that, until the force of Quinn's next words hit her.

"It's always _just fucking_ with Santana." Brittany's face fell and hurt swept over her features with Quinn's bitter words. "She's never been capable of anything else. I bet she tells you she loves you and she needs you, huh?" Her voice had changed from angry to condescending and was laced with false empathy. "Yeah. She doesn't love anyone, Brittany. She told me that a long time ago. She doesn't do feelings." Santana could see Brittany's eyes glossing over. She watched as the blonde brought a trembling hand up to her eye and wiped away a tear.

"What the fuck, Quinn?" Santana was angry. She didn't think she'd ever been this angry in her life. How dare Quinn say those things? How dare she make Brittany upset, just when everything was going so perfectly in their relationship? This was why she didn't want to tell her. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

"This is exactly what I warned you about, Santana! But no, you couldn't fucking help yourself, could you? You had to go and screw our best friend over – literally. You never think of anyone but yourself! You-"

"Shut the fuck up Fabray!" Santana shouted, standing from her stool. "This isn't like that." She looked at Brittany, but her gaze was firmly fixed on the floor. She wanted to look at her. She wanted to look into those blue eyes and tell her everything was going to be okay. Because what she had realised, was that even if Quinn wasn't okay with it, she didn't care. Nothing was going to change how she felt about Brittany. Brittany wouldn't look at her though.

"It's always like that with you, Santana. Brittany hasn't been around the past few years. I think I know a little better about how you are, and how you walk all over people just to get what you want. You don't care about people. No exceptions. You said it yourself." The sourness of Quinn's words hit Santana forcefully. She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She was about to open her mouth and shout back something, anything to defend herself because that all may have been true once, but it couldn't be further from how she felt now. Before she could respond though, Brittany suddenly turned away and began walking fast, almost running towards the other end of the room. _Fuck. _Santana was about to run after her when she turned back to glare at Quinn. She was so fucking angry right now. Angry with how Quinn had spoken to her and to Brittany. Angry that her friend hadn't been supportive. And angry that her past was constantly being dragged up and making her feel unworthy. She could fucking slap Quinn right now.

_Actually, you know what?_

She lifted her hand and struck Quinn hard across the cheek. Quinn gasped a little and brought her hand up to her face, where there was already a red mark forming. She stared at Santana with a mixture of disbelief and pain. _Yep, that felt good._

"Fuck you Quinn." She spat. "Look what you've done! I'm not just _fucking _Brittany. This is so much more than that. The way I feel about her, I- you know what? I don't have to explain myself to you. I can't even look at you right now." With that, she turned on her heels and set off in the direction Brittany had gone, but she'd disappeared into the crowd and Santana couldn't see her anywhere. _Shit._ Quinn better not have fucked this up. She just needed to find Brittany. She needed to reassure her that everything Quinn had said wasn't true, at least not anymore. She wanted to tell her that everything would be okay and that she didn't care what anyone else thought, as long as she had her. She just needed to-

"Lopez!" Santana turned around to see Puck running up to her. "I need you up there." He pointed up to the small stage by the dance floor. Santana ignored him and instead began frantically scanning the bar again in search of Brittany.

"Not a good time, Puckerman."

"Well it has to be a good time. I need you on stage now." Santana let out a frustrated sigh and turned back to him.

"Give me ten minutes okay?"

"Dude, I've been looking for you for the past half an hour. I really need you up there now. They're beginning to get antsy." He motioned over to a group of professional-looking men in suits sitting in one of the booths. Santana threw up her hands, defeated.

"Ugh, fine! I just need one second, okay? Please." Puck nodded. Satisfied, Santana rushed over to the table where Kurt, Rachel and Blaine were still sat. They looked a little surprised when they saw her appear, slightly flustered and breathless.

"What happened?" Rachel asked, her face clouded with concern.

"Quinn… Brittany…" Santana stammered out, trying to collect herself. She was still slightly overwhelmed with everything that had just happened, and proper sentences seemed to be failing her right now. Realisation appeared on her three friend's faces and they looked even more concerned. "Look, I have to go on stage now." They all looked a little confused. "I'm performing tonight. I'll explain later…" She told them hastily and they nodded. "But please do me a favour and find Brittany. I have no idea where she went, I lost her. She might be in the bathroom or outside or-"

"Santana, we'll find her." Rachel cut her off, standing up and placing her hands on her shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be fine, I promise." Santana nodded and smiled gratefully.

"Okay, 'cause I really need her to hear this." Rachel nodded again and wished her good luck before she, Kurt and Blaine went off in search of Brittany.

**…**

Santana stood on the stage at the back of the bar by the dance floor and shakily held the microphone in her hand. People were still drinking and chatting happily, but the music was now gone and people were starting to gather near the stage. Santana was nervous. Not about performing, because she was used to that. Sure, she always got a bit anxious before singing in front of a crowd, but she'd been doing it for so long that she'd learnt how to use that nervous energy to her advantage, channelling all her adrenaline into the performance. No, she was nervous because of what this particular performance meant. If she wasn't able to talk to Brittany and convince her with words that everything Quinn had said wasn't true, then she would do it the only other way she knew how. Singing was like a release for Santana. Ever since her dad had left and she'd closed herself off from the rest of the world, singing had become her one outlet, the only way of communicating her otherwise tightly locked away emotions. She needed desperately for Brittany to hear this, to feel the weight of the words she sang and to believe them. She also needed Quinn to hear this. Santana could see her still sitting at the bar where she'd left her. Her arms were folded and her gaze was fixed on Santana. She still couldn't see Brittany, but she hoped she'd be here soon.

Santana turned and marched purposefully over to the middle-aged man sitting with an acoustic guitar at the back of the stage and told him which song she wanted to sing. It wasn't on Puck's set list, but she didn't care. She needed to sing this song. After everything that had happened and as Quinn's spiteful words continued to play in her head, something had clicked, and Santana had realised just what she wanted to sing to make this right. The guitar guy nodded and Santana sat down on the stool placed at the front of the stage. Clipping the microphone on its stand and adjusting it to her level, she took a deep breath. Her heart was beating fast and she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her body. She cleared her throat.

"Hey everyone." Santana's voice rang through the microphone and the crowd in the large bar began to hush down. Santana could hear her nerves shaking her voice a little. "So we uh, thought you guys might want to hear some live music?" The crowd began cheering and clapping as more people collected in front of the stage, eager to watch. Santana took a nervous breath and sat on her shaking hands, shifting a little in her seat. She glanced around the bar, squinting her eyes a little to see through the bright spotlight that was now shining on her. Quinn was still staring back at her but she couldn't see Brittany. She took another shaky breath and spoke into the microphone again. "So, uh… This is kind of for… someone special." At that moment Santana noticed her. Her eyes locked onto blue as she spotted Brittany lifting herself to sit on top of the bar so that she could see above the body of people. Santana felt herself relax and smiled in relief. "I hope you like it." The crowd continued cheering but Santana didn't really notice. Her eyes were fixed on Brittany as she spoke. Brittany wasn't smiling back. She was just sat there watching her, legs dangling off the bar and crossed at her ankles, sitting on her hands just like Santana. But she was there, and that was all Santana cared about right now. She heard the first few soft chords of the guitar and took a deep breath.

_When I was younger I saw my daddy cry_

_And curse at the wind._

Santana's voice was a little shaky at the start, but she took a deep breath and continued, needing to get this out.

_He broke his own heart and I watched_

_As he tried to reassemble it._

_And my momma swore that she would_

_Never let herself forget._

Santana felt slightly overcome with emotion as she sung the words she'd never realised held so much truth to her own life before. She could feel the tears stinging the back of her eyes and daren't look up just yet. She swallowed thickly and continued.

_And that was the day that I promised_

_I'd never sing of love_

_If it does not exist._

At that moment, she lifted her gaze and found those beautiful blue eyes again, glinting slightly with unshed tears and looking back at her so softly, and with so much affection. Santana smiled as she sang the next words, never breaking Brittany's gaze.

_But darling, you are the only exception._

She watched a beautiful smile break out across Brittany's lips as she sung those words more sincerely than anything she'd said before. Brittany's smile grew even wider as she repeated the chorus.

_You are the only exception._

_You are the only exception._

_You are the only exception._

Santana could hear Quinn's cold words echoing around her brain. _"Santana doesn't care about people. No exceptions."_ She glanced towards the back of the room to find Quinn, needing to see her face, needing to explain to her through this song how wrong she was. She finally caught Quinn's hazel stare. Her face was softer than it had been earlier; she was looking at Santana almost with fascination, like she was studying her, trying to work out if she was being sincere. Santana continued to explain through the words of the song as she watched Quinn closely.

_And I've always lived like this,_

_Keeping a comfortable distance._

_And up until now I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness._

She watched Quinn's face fall slightly and her eyes flicker down, averting Santana's gaze. She looked sad almost, guilty perhaps. Santana looked back to Brittany and smiled as she sang the rest of the song, her voice beautiful and powerful with the truth of the words leaving her mouth.

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk. _

_Well you are the only exception._

_You are the only exception._

_You are the only exception._

_You are the only exception._

She heard the chords of the guitar slowing as she sang the last lines of the song, her voice thick with emotion. She could never remember meaning something more than what she was saying now.

_And I'm on my way to believing._

_Oh, and I'm on my way to believing._

Santana closed her eyes as the guitarist played his last soft chord and she let out a long breath. The crowd began clapping and cheering loudly, bringing her back to reality. She opened her eyes and lifted her hand to catch a silent tear that fell over her cheek. She smiled and spoke softly into the microphone again.

"Thank you. I'll be back real soon, hold tight." Santana slid off the stool and hastily walked down the steps off the stage, pushing past people in the direction of the one person she needed to see right now. She ignored Puck's slightly exasperated look as she continued to shove her way through the crowd towards the bar. Before she could get there she was tackled into a powerful hug. She almost stumbled backwards with the force of Brittany's arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders but she steadied herself and supported Brittany's weight, slipping her arms around her waist and holding her secure. She let out a sigh of relief as Brittany nuzzled into her neck.

"That was amazing." The blonde breathed into the crook of her neck and Santana smiled. "_You're_ amazing."

"I love you." Santana whispered back, placing her hands on Brittany's cheeks and lifting her head to look at her. Brittany smiled widely, tears glistening her eyes and Santana thought she had never looked more beautiful than right now.

"I love you too." Brittany leaned in and pushed her lips against Santana's in a deep and meaningful kiss. Santana smiled and kissed her back with all the love and emotion she'd felt during that song. She pulled back and stroked her thumbs over Brittany's cheeks, caressing them softly as she spoke.

"I don't care what anyone else thinks, Britt. I love you. I've never felt like this about anyone, and nothing's gonna change that, okay?" Brittany nodded and kissed her again. When they broke apart, Santana saw Rachel approach them and she smiled.

"That was fantastic, Santana." Santana grinned warmly, taking the sincere compliment as Rachel hugged her.

"Is she still here?" Santana questioned cautiously. Rachel knew who she was referring to and shook her head solemnly.

"I think she left. I'm sorry." She spoke sympathetically and Santana nodded in understanding. She couldn't say she was surprised, but a part of her was hoping Quinn would stay and everything would sort itself out.

"I've gotta get back up there before Puck has a seizure." She joked lightly and took Brittany's hand. "I'll see you after, okay?" Brittany nodded and squeezed Santana's hand, smiling as she placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"You were really amazing. Go get 'em." Santana grinned at them both before turning and making her way back to the stage. She nodded to the guitarist and sat back down on the stool.

"Thanks for waiting guys." The crowd immediately quieted down again, except for a few hushed whispers as people began gathering by the stage again. "How about we get the tempo up a little bit in here?" The crowd cheered loudly and Santana smiled. She caught Brittany's eye, who was now standing at the front near the stage along with Rachel, Kurt and Blaine. She grinned at the amazing blonde as the music started up and wondered how in the hell she got so lucky.

**…**


	20. Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Hope you're gonna like this one guys. Sorry about all the drama last chapter - although I'm not gonna lie that slap was very satisfying to write! I just thought it would be wrong if Quinn was suddenly all fine with it, and wanted things to be a little more realistic.

Prepare yourself for all the cuteness in this chapter! Been overwhelmed with brittana feels since the last episode, so it's all sunshine and daisies in this one!

Please keep letting me know what you think - I appreciate everyone's feedback so much, so thank you! Let me know if any of you guys have tumblr and I'll give ya a follow.

Enjoy! Hope you survive tonight's episode...

Chapter 20:

**...**

"I just don't get it." Rachel said casually with a shrug as she followed Kurt, Santana and Brittany into her apartment. They had all decided it would be better for Brittany to stay with them for the night in order to avoid any unnecessary conflict with Quinn, and Brittany had gratefully accepted. Rachel hummed happily as she made her way over to the kitchen area. Santana could see she was a little tipsy, feeling the buzz from her cocktails and probably still on a high from her exciting news. Santana chucked her bag down on the coffee table and slumped down next to Brittany on the couch. She eyed Rachel incredulously.

"Berry. How can you even say that? Peanut butter and chocolate is like, _the _best combination in the world!" She exclaimed adamantly, receiving an enthusiastic nod from Brittany. Since the way home from Lola's, the four friends had been chatting happily, all excited by Rachel's news and Santana's performances, which if she did say so herself, went pretty fucking well. Puck had told her that the investors were impressed, and that it was pretty much a closed deal. So all four of them were in high spirits, despite the sourness of the drama with Quinn still hanging over them. However, Santana and Brittany were trying not to think about it, at least for tonight, and Rachel and Kurt had been doing their best to keep their friends distracted. So somehow along the way, the four of them had begun a rather animated debate about peanut butter and chocolate. Santana and Brittany couldn't believe their friends' lack of enthusiasm for one of life's most delicious combinations.

"I don't know." Rachel answered as she returned from the kitchen with a mug and plopped down onto the other sofa next to Kurt. "I've just never seen what all the fuss is about." She shrugged again and took a sip of her tea. Santana and Brittany exchanged a dumfounded look.

"So you don't even like Reese's peanut butter cups?" Brittany asked hesitantly, almost like she was scared to hear her answer. Rachel scrunched up her nose slightly.

"They're okay I guess." Brittany's jaw dropped open comically and Santana couldn't help but giggle.

"Yeah, they're not amazing. Kind of sickly." Kurt added indifferently. Brittany turned to Santana, horrified, before facing the others again.

"Okay. You either love peanut butter cups. Or you are wrong." Brittany announced firmly like she was teaching them one of life's most important lessons. Santana snorted with laughter and cuddled into Brittany affectionately, who grinned and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

"I second that message." Santana stated formally and raised her hand, eliciting a cute little giggle from Brittany.

"You two are ridiculous." Kurt said with an amused chuckle as he eyed the two girls sniggering and cuddling into each other on the couch.

"But that's why you love us." Brittany said matter-of-factly, squeezing Santana tighter.

"We can't deny that." Rachel agreed with a warm smile. "Now, if you really want a great combination, I'd take chocolate covered raisins over peanut butter cups any day." She added, returning to their light hearted conversation as she took another sip of tea. At this, Santana sat upright and stared at her in disbelief.

"Berry. First of all, I almost take personal offense at the absurdity of your last comment. Peanut butter and I have a very close relationship." Brittany chuckled softly next to her. "And second, do not even get me started on raisins!"

"What's wrong with raisins?" Kurt asked with an over-dramatic gasp and Rachel laughed. Santana adjusted herself so that she was sitting cross-legged on the couch, took a deep breath and looked around at her amused friends with feigned seriousness.

"Well firstly, I don't even want to talk about how weird and wrinkly they are." She scrunched up her face and the others chuckled, entertained by her playful behaviour. "And then it's like, if I wanted chocolate, I'd just eat chocolate, you know? Why would I also want fruit? I mean, if you're gonna have something healthy, have an apple or something. Don't have chocolate and try and pretend you're being healthy by shoving raisins in there." She folded her arms and sat back, satisfied with her passionate speech. She watched as Rachel and Kurt laughed, shaking their heads with amusement. Brittany pinched her on the arm.

"You're adorable, you know that?" She asked around a grin and Santana felt herself blush, smiling shyly. _How did Brittany do that to her so easily?_ "But seriously. You don't even like oatmeal raisin cookies? 'Cause we may have a problem there." Santana laughed at Brittany's sudden serious tone before placing her hand on her knee and leaning forward.

"Britt. If you ever try and give me an oatmeal raisin cookie, I will end you." She said with a grin, causing Brittany to snort with laughter.

"A bit dramatic, don't you think, Satan?" Kurt asked with a bemused smile and a quirked eyebrow.

"Absolutely not." She deadpanned. "It is without a doubt one of life's worst moments when you get all excited and bite into what you _think_ is a chocolate chip cookie, only to find out they are in fact not chocolate chips, but raisins." The others erupted into laughter at her over-dramatic speech and Santana couldn't help but smile. This is exactly what she needed after a night like tonight. It was just comforting to know that after all the shit with Quinn, she was still here with her friends, and Brittany was by her side. That was all that mattered. She sighed contentedly and lay down to rest her head in Brittany's lap. She closed her eyes and smiled as Brittany began softly stroking her hair. She felt herself yawn loudly and Brittany chuckled from above her.

"Come on, sleepyhead. Let's go to bed." Santana simply nuzzled further into Brittany's lap.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hit the hay too. What an exhausting day we've had." Rachel said with a yawn as she heaved herself off the couch.

"Agreed. Eventful to say the least! Congratulations again, Rachel. And Santana, you were great tonight." He said warmly as he followed Rachel towards the hallway. Santana mumbled a sleepy thank you into Brittany's lap, causing her to giggle affectionately as she continued stroking her hair.

"You really were amazing tonight." Brittany told her softly when the others had retired to their respective rooms. "It kind of takes my breath away when you sing." Santana smiled at Brittany's sweet words and turned in her lap so that she could look at her.

"_You_ kind of take my breath away." Santana replied around a lazy smile, feeling her eyelids becoming heavy. Brittany beamed the softest, most genuine smile at Santana's endearing words, and leant down to press a gentle kiss to her head.

"Let's get you to bed." She whispered, brushing her fingers over Santana's cheek and watching her eyelids drooping closed. "You've had a long day and you're pretty much falling asleep here anyways." Santana turned and buried her face again in Brittany's lap.

"Don't wanna." She mumbled against her thigh and Brittany smiled. "I hate sleep."

"Sleep's awesome." Brittany replied with a grin, combing her fingers through soft, dark hair. "It's like a time machine to breakfast." At these adorable words, Santana lifted her head and sat up to look affectionately at the blonde. "And we can make chocolate chip pancakes." Brittany added as she tapped Santana on the nose. The Latina grinned excitedly. "And no raisins, I promise." Santana chuckled lightly and held up her pinky finger.

"You promise?" Brittany smiled and linked her pinky with Santana's.

"I promise. Now let's get that adorable ass of yours to bed!" Santana squealed when Brittany slapped her playfully on the butt as they jumped up and raced to her bedroom, giggling like little kids.

_All things considered, this was a pretty damn perfect evening._

**…**

Santana was sprawled out flat on her stomach, her face buried in her pillow and her arms thrown haphazardly above her head. She wasn't sure how long she'd been awake, or if she was even awake at all right now, but whatever the case, she knew she didn't want to move. It really wasn't her fault, her bed was seriously comfy right now and besides, she'd never been a morning person. Santana had never understood how some people were always so chirpy in the mornings. She had always said that you shouldn't trust someone who smiles before 9 am. Seriously, there must be something wrong with someone who can be in a good mood before it's even light outside, or at least before a large cup of coffee; surely that can't be healthy. Example one, her roommate by the name of Rachel Berry. Even in her half-asleep and groggy state, Santana was pretty sure she could hear the unfortunately very familiar sound of a Broadway number being belted out from the bathroom.

"Ugh." She ungracefully flopped over onto her back, still not willing to open her eyes in the hope she might be able to drift back into the wonderful realms of sleep. _Yep, she hated morning people_.

That said, Brittany was also a morning person. A lazy smile stretched across her face at the mere thought of the beautiful blonde, and she blindly swatted at the sheets next to her, but found an empty space where Brittany had been. Her forehead scrunched up into a frown and she finally persuaded herself to open her eyes, only to confirm that she was in fact alone. She groaned and shut her eyes again, wondering why she was being deprived of her usual morning cuddling – _yep, she cuddles now – _that she'd got very used to over the past couple of weeks. She wrapped herself tightly in her duvet and snuggled back into her pillow. There was no way in hell she was getting up now.

Santana must have drifted back to sleep, because now she suddenly found herself being pulled into consciousness again by a strange sensation on her face. She swatted whatever it was away with her hand and buried her face further into her pillow, only to hear an adorable giggle from beside her. She immediately felt her lips lifting up into a sleepy smile as she felt another soft kiss to her cheek. She opened one eye to see Brittany sitting fully dressed on the bed next to her, a happy smile on her face.

"Morning sleepy one." Brittany cooed softly and Santana went to reply, but her response came out as more of a sleepy and very incoherent mumble. Brittany giggled again and combed her finger through Santana's hair. She let her eyes flutter close again and smiled at the sensation.

"Wha' time's it?" She mumbled groggily, a lazy smile still playing on her lips as Brittany continued to stroke her hair.

"Just before 9 sweetie." Santana groaned loudly and screwed her eyes shut tighter. It was a Thursday and she didn't have class till 12, so there was no way she was getting up yet.

"More sleeping." Santana muttered, her face still half-squished into her pillow. She wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist and pulled her down beside her. Brittany squealed a little and chuckled as she was dragged down onto the bed next to a very sleepy Santana. But she didn't complain as Santana nuzzled into her side and hummed contently.

"Baby, you're already awake! You may as well get up now." She said, clearly amused by Santana's behaviour. _Damn these morning people._

"Just because I'm awake, doesn't mean I have to do things." Santana replied, trying to sound grumpy but failing miserably around the blonde, as always. She could practically see that gorgeous smile of hers even with her eyes closed.

"Yeah, but you get to do things with me! That's definitely worth getting up for." Santana opened her eyes and quirked an eyebrow. _Brittany had a point._

"What kind of things?" Santana asked seductively, before pressing her lips softly just underneath Brittany's jaw. She heard Brittany inhale sharply as she continued to kiss along her neck, definitely feeling more awake now.

"U-uh…" Brittany stammered a little shakily and Santana smirked against her skin. _She loved that she had this effect on her._

"Like, these kind of things?" Santana asked in a low voice as she brushed her fingers lightly over the exposed skin between Brittany's jeans and t-shirt. A little hum escaped Brittany's lips as Santana continued to dance her fingers over her navel.

"Santana…" She was pretty sure Brittany had meant it has a warning but it had definitely come out as more of a gasp which sounded unbelievably sexy. Just as Santana was about to dip her fingers under the waistband of Brittany's jeans, she found herself thrown onto her back and her hands pinned down above her head. Brittany was now looking down at her and grinning wickedly. "As much as I would love to do _that _right now…" She leant down and pressed a long, lingering kiss to Santana's lips. "…I've made breakfast and I don't want it getting cold." She smirked before lifting herself off the Latina and standing up from the bed. Still slightly breathless from one hell of a kiss and saddened by the loss of contact, Santana pouted at the blonde, who simply chuckled. "Don't give me that look, Miss Lopez. You need to come and eat before Kurt beats us to it. I saw him eyeing our breakfast before I left."

"But I can think of something much more delicious I'd rather eat right now…" Santana replied in a low voice, still feeling decidedly turned on. Brittany simply smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Even more delicious than chocolate chip pancakes?" At this, Santana's eyes went wide, causing Brittany to laugh.

"You are too good to me." Santana told her as she grinned at the blonde.

"I know." She smiled back and held out her hand to the brunette still sprawled out on the duvet. "Come on, rise and shine!" Santana groaned dramatically and ungracefully heaved herself out of bed. _The things she does for this girl._

"I will rise, but I refuse to shine." Brittany let out a throaty laugh and grabbed Santana's hand before dragging her out into the hallway.

"You better not have eaten all of our-" Brittany stopped in her tracks as they entered the kitchen, causing Santana to bump into the back of her. She looked up to see Kurt and Rachel sitting at the island looking extremely guilty. Kurt was frozen, holding a forkfull of pancake halfway to his mouth. Rachel chewed and swallowed quickly before hastily wiping some chocolate from her face.

"Oh, _hell _no." Santana began striding determinedly towards her roommates, fully prepared to murder them for eating her breakfast. Rachel squealed and jumped up from her seat, running over to Kurt and cowering behind him.

"Kurt, I told you I'd be right back! I can't believe you guys ate our breakfast!" Brittany whined, pushing her lips out into that adorable pout. Kurt plopped the last mouthful of pancake into his mouth before shrugging and giving them a look as if to say _what did you expect?_ Rachel looked to Kurt with an alarmed expression.

"Kurt, why on earth didn't you tell me these were for Santana? I never would have eaten them if I'd known that! You know what happens if we steal her food." _Yes he does. Murder. _Santana grabbed the nearest thing to her which was vaguely weapon shaped and pointed it threateningly at her two friends. The closest object happened to be a cucumber, which didn't exactly have the effect she was going for but you know, it'll do.

"Tell me there's more _right_ now, or I will end you." Rachel cowered further behind Kurt, gripping his shoulders and effectively using him as a human shield.

"Baby, there's more mixture. Don't panic." Brittany told her around an amused grin as she walked up behind Santana. "Now step away from the vegetable." Santana chuckled at her dorkiness and set the cucumber down on the side as she let Brittany's arms snake around her waist. Rachel let out a relieved sigh and Kurt simply rolled his eyes before standing up.

"I'm going to go and get ready for class before I'm attacked by any other salad ingredients." He announced, receiving a less than amused glare from Santana. "And I'm truly sorry, Brittany. They just looked too delicious to resist." Brittany rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully as he made his way back to his room. Rachel also turned to leave, looking extremely sheepish.

"Don't think I've forgotten about this, Hobbit." Santana warned as Rachel gave her an apologetic look. "And where are you even going? I thought you didn't have class today." Rachel's face brightened and her lips turned up into an excited grin.

"I don't, but I'm meeting my producer today to discuss my rehearsal schedule!" Santana couldn't help but smile at her giddy friend.

"Fine, you're off the hook." She said, rolling her eyes. "But when you're a big Broadway star I want you to remember that I so generously forgave you, and in return invite me and Britt-Britt to all the a-list parties." Rachel chuckled softly and nodded.

"Of course." And with that, she happily skipped off to her room.

"Wow I didn't realise you were one for getting so hangry." Brittany said in a teasing voice as she rested her head on Santana's shoulder.

"_Hangry?_ What in the hell is that?" Santana asked with an amused grin.

"Hangry. Being angry 'cause you're so hungry. Duh." Brittany replied matter-of-factly, eliciting a giggle from Santana.

"You're adorable." Santana said, turning in Brittany arms to face her and place a sweet kiss of her lips. "Now for the love of god, let's make us those pancakes!" Brittany giggled, kissing her once more before turning to the stove. Santana poured herself a mug of coffee and leant against the counter. She noticed Brittany get a little quiet while she began adding some chocolate chips to the leftover pancake mixture. She might have just been concentrating, but Santana knew Brittany better than anyone and could tell when she was worried about something. Her eyebrows always scrunched up a little and she would chew on her bottom lip adorably. Santana stepped behind her and looped her arms around her waist. "What's going on in that cute little head of yours, Britt-Britt?" Brittany brought her hand down to rest over Santana's.

"I was just thinking about Quinn." Santana nodded her head in understanding and rested her chin on Brittany's shoulder.

"Listen, baby. You know that everything Quinn said last night isn't true right? At least not anymore." Santana knew Brittany had understood everything she had conveyed in her song last night, but she still wanted to reassure her. She hated the thought of her worrying about anything. Brittany turned around and took both Santana's hands in her own, looking at her seriously.

"Of course, Santana." She smiled softly and stroked her thumbs soothingly over the back of Santana's hands. "I know you felt lost for a little bit, but I know that was never you. I could never think of you like that. I just don't want you to think of _yourself_ like that. Those things she said were really hurtful." Santana smiled sadly and looked down.

"I know. I guess for a while back there I did see myself like that, so I can understand why Quinn still does. I was hiding, and I think I thought it was just easier to be that person, you know? Someone who didn't give a shit. But I could never be that now. Not with you." She smiled shyly and looked up at the blonde who looked back at her with so much love and affection that she thought her heart might swell and burst.

"Good. Because I love you so much, and you're the most amazing person in the world in my eyes. You're talented, and beautiful… And totally sexy." She added with a smirk and Santana blushed. "And completely adorable 100% of the time. Even when you're hangry." Santana smiled widely before leaning up on her tip-toes and kissing Brittany deeply. Those words were truly the most beautiful words she had ever heard, and she couldn't believe she was so lucky that someone as incredible as Brittany felt that way about her. She broke the kiss and stared lovingly up into sparkling blue eyes.

"I love you too. So much. You're my best friend and my favourite person in this world." Brittany smiled that gorgeous smile of hers and Santana squeezed their joined hands. "My life literally sucked when you weren't in it. And I can't imagine you not being in it now. I hate it when I'm not with you – seriously, ask Berry or Hummel, I'm awful." Santana paused to watch that beautiful smile grow even wider across Brittany's face. "I love this, Britt. Being with you. Having you… having you as my girlfriend." Santana could feel her smile growing as she looked up at the beautiful blonde.

"Girlfriend?" Brittany's grin was now enormous and Santana couldn't help the equally stupid smile that was stretching across her lips.

"Yeah… Is that okay?" She asked around her grin. Brittany nodded furiously which made Santana giggle. "I mean, you already know I love you… so I'm guessing it's not that much of a surprise," Brittany chuckled and rolled her eyes playfully. "But I want you to know that you're the only one I could ever want." Santana said sincerely, looking deep into caring blue eyes. "And plus I want everyone else to know that this hot piece of ass belongs to me!" Brittany squealed when the Latina playfully pinched her butt. Santana then continued in a more serious tone. "And when I tell Quinn, I want her to know that this is real, okay? Because she will come around, I promise. You're not gonna be homeless forever." Brittany chuckled and pulled Santana into a tight hug.

"You're amazing, you know that?" She said softly into Santana's ear. "And I won't be homeless, because I always feel at home whenever I'm with you." Santana smiled and placed her hands on Brittany's cheeks, pulling her in for another deep kiss.

"Seriously, though. Those pancakes." Santana said, pointing at the bowl of mixture still sat on the counter. Brittany chuckled and turned her attention back to the stove.

"Fine. But only 'cause you're my girlfriend."

**…**

A small smile tugged at Santana's lips as she watched Brittany shovel the last of her pancake into her mouth. "Remember when we threw a pancake at Berry's head? Probably the funniest moment of my life." Brittany snorted with laughter and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! That was priceless. I would pay seriously good money to see that again." Santana agreed as she took a sip of her coffee, the smile still playing at her lips as she thought back to that day.

"You know, I remember being so happy that day. And not just because I got to throw food at Berry." Santana said, causing Brittany to chuckle before she continued. "It was because that was the first morning I remember waking up and thinking that maybe things were going to be okay again." A beautiful, soft smile appeared across Brittany's face, that one Santana knew was only reserved for her. "The night before was when you asked me to go on a date for the first time. Do you remember?" Brittany nodded and moved her hand to rest it on top of Santana's over the island.

"Of course I remember. We stayed up all night telling secrets… and then I dropped the bombshell on you that I wanted to take you out." Santana laughed at the memory and interlaced their fingers.

"Yes you did. And I remember waking up the next morning with you in my arms, and feeling happier than I'd felt in a long time. Because… I realised that I finally had you back in my life." Brittany's face visibly softened. "And so yeah, it just felt like everything was going to be okay." Santana shrugged and smiled shyly up at the blonde.

"How do you do that?" Brittany asked, looking at Santana with wonderment.

"Do what?"

"You just always know the most perfect thing to say. When I think you couldn't possibly amaze me even more than you already do, you just go and prove me wrong again." She squeezed Santana's hand as the Latina dipped her head and smiled bashfully.

"I don't know, Britt. I mean, I'm not like that with anyone else, so I guess it's just something you do to me." She shrugged, a shy smile still playing on her lips as Brittany beamed widely back at her.

"Guess it's a good thing I'm your girlfriend then." She winked at Santana who grinned hard. _It felt so amazing to hear that._ "Now come on, let's go get ready." Brittany said, standing up and taking her plate over to the sink. "We've both got class later and I'm guessing you're gonna have to see Quinn at some point." Santana groaned but nevertheless followed behind Brittany with her plate.

"Ugh, do I have to?" She whined. "Can't we just go back to bed and nap all day? And by nap I mean drift into small coma so I can hide from my life and never have to talk to Quinn?" Brittany laughed and shook her head.

"You know I'll be here for you when you do, and that her opinion doesn't change anything, right?" Santana smiled gratefully as she placed their plates in the sink. "And then we can start planning another pancake attack on Rachel."

"Totally." Santana replied around a grin. She watched Brittany's lips tug up into a mischievous smile.

"You know what would be funnier though?" Santana quirked an eyebrow.

"This." Before she could react, Brittany quickly dipped her finger into the mixing bowl sitting on the side and swiped a thick line of pancake batter over Santana's cheek. The Latina gasped as a wicked giggle erupted from Brittany's lips.

"Oh, you are _so _gonna pay for that!" Brittany squealed and darted towards the living room as Santana grabbed the bowl and ran after her, unable to control the fits of laughter bubbling out of her. Brittany shrieked when Santana made a lunge for her, but managed to duck out of the way and sprint around the pool table. Santana ran after her, both girls still giggling hysterically. They comically chased each other around the pool table a few times, changing direction every now and again, Brittany squealing each time Santana got close to catching her. "How are you… so freaking… fast! Santana panted out as Brittany escaped her clutches once again. "Ugh, I'm gonna get you… _so _bad!" She chased Brittany over towards the couch, still clutching the mixing bowl tight in one hand.

"Ahh I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Please stop… no! Don't chase me- ahhh!" Brittany shrieked when her leg caught on the coffee table and she tumbled dramatically onto the floor. Santana tried to suppress a laugh at her girlfriend's inelegance before taking her opportunity and throwing herself on top of her.

"Got you now!" She yelled, grinning wickedly down at the blonde she was now straddling. Brittany screamed in between fits of giggles, squirming underneath her as Santana managed to pin her arms above her head with her free hand.

"No please! Don't! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Santana only smirked harder before scooping up a large dollop of pancake batter and smearing it across Brittany's face. Brittany shrieked again, squirming and wriggling as she desperately tried to free herself from Santana's tight grasp, whilst still giggling hysterically. Santana snorted with laughter as she continued to cover the blonde's face with pancake mixture.

"Oh my _god!_ This is just- you look… so funny right now!" She breathed out in between fits of Brittany began furiously licking around her mouth in an attempt to rid herself of some of the pancake batter, Santana lost it completely. She was laughing so hard, she had to clutch her stomach because it was hurting so much. This turned out to be a serious mistake when Brittany took the opportunity to flip them, causing the bowl to fly out of Santana's hand and her elbow hit the edge of the coffee table hard. "Ow!" Despite the pain she was still laughing uncontrollably as Brittany giggled on top of her.

"That was _so _uncalled for." Brittany told her around an enormous grin as bubbles of laughter continued to leave Santana's lips. When their giggling eventually died down, the two girls lay there, breathing heavily. Santana looked up at Brittany who was still straddling her, and couldn't help but smile.

"You look completely ridiculous right now." Brittany scrunched up her nose and looked down at her with feigned confusion.

"Why? Do I have something on my face?" She poked her tongue out to lick the corner of her mouth, causing Santana to chuckle softly.

"Just a little." Brittany smiled, before leaning down closer towards Santana's face.

"So do you. Just… there." She slowly brushed her finger over the tip of Santana's nose, scooping up a blob of mixture there, before popping it into her mouth and releasing it with a loud pop. "Yummy." Santana giggled and tugged gently on Brittany's shirt, pulling her closer again.

"Yeah, well you have a little something… right about there." Santana poked her tongue out and slowly ran it over Brittany's skin, just below her jaw, removing some more of the mixture. She heard Brittany inhale a little sharply and smiled. "Mmm yeah, you were right. Delicious." An adorable little giggle left Brittany's lips. Santana's heart was still beating fast from all the running around, and the current position they had found themselves in wasn't helping matters. Brittany smirked, noticing the heaving of her chest and leaned down, so that they faces were only inches apart.

"You know… it was kinda sexy having you chase me like that." Santana felt her skin heating up with the way Brittany's breath hit her lips as she spoke. "And plus you look totally adorable with pancake mixture all over you." Santana giggled softly and leaned up slightly, closing the distance between them and claiming Brittany's lips with her own. Brittany hummed contently and pushed her tongue past Santana's lips, deepening the kiss. Her heart was still racing as her hands found their way to the back of Brittany's neck, pulling her closer. They broke apart after a while in need of air, and Brittany rested her forehead against Santana's, smiling down at her. "You taste like pancakes." Brittany said around her grin and Santana giggled softly.

"So do you." The girls stayed like that for a little while, smiling and giggling at each other, stealing little kisses here and there. They were pulled out of their little bubble when Kurt walked into the room and stopped in his tracks. Hands on his hips, he glanced between the girls, covered in pancake batter, lying on the floor, and the upturned bowl by the coffee table with pancake mixture spilled around it.

"Dare I even ask?" He said with half-amusement, half- bewilderment. The two girls simply laughed before rolling off each other and helping each other up. "Right. Well I just came to tell you that I'm done in the bathroom if you needed a shower, which by the looks of things you definitely do." He eyed his friends, looking at the pancake batter smeared across their faces and covering a large portion of their pyjamas. Santana glanced at Brittany before turning and sprinting towards the hallway.

"Race you there!" She yelled as she ran out of the living room, hearing the sound of Brittany's feet on the hardwood floors close behind her. She squealed when she felt arms snake around her waist and lift her up as Brittany carried her into the bathroom. Still giggling as Brittany set her down and closed the door behind them, Santana turned to face the smiling blonde. "I swear I act like I'm about five years old when I'm around you." She told her with an amused grin, glancing in the mirror at her messy state.

"I know, and I love it." Brittany grinned back. "Now come here and let me get those clothes off you. You literally managed to get it all over you." Santana rolled her eyes playfully and stepped towards the blonde, still feeling her heart racing as Brittany began pulling up her t-shirt. She lifted her arms to allow her to tug it all the way off and shivered slightly as the cool air hit her bare chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched Brittany's eyes shift slowly over her newly exposed skin, before leaning in and placing a delicate kiss to the Latina's shoulder. Santana felt her breath hitch a little as Brittany hooked her fingers round the waistband of her pyjama shorts, pulling them down slowly. Brittany smiled softly before removing her own clothes and tossing them onto the floor. Santana unashamedly let her eyes rake over Brittany's naked body, taking in every curve, each perfect line of her toned abs and her long, slender legs. _Hey, she's her girlfriend, she's allowed to._

Brittany smirked before walking casually over to the shower and turning it on, poking her hand round the door to test the temperature. Santana's eyes followed Brittany, dropping to her perfectly shaped ass as the dancer stepped into the shower. Santana could never get enough of that body – how could anyone not get distracted by something so entirely perfect? She realised she was still just standing on the other side of the small bathroom, staring, when Brittany turned round and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Are you joining me?" Santana blushed before nodding shyly, not really able to form words right now. She walked over to the cubicle, watching as Brittany dipped her head under the shower and water began running over her naked body, skating over her breasts, down her toned stomach and along lean legs. She stepped into the shower and felt the warm water heat up her already burning skin. She couldn't take her eyes off Brittany. She simply watched the blonde as she stood there under the stream of water, eyes closed, her fingers sliding through her hair as she rinsed out her shampoo. "Mmm I love your shampoo. It smells like you." Santana smiled at her words. "Now spin around." The Latina did as she was told, though slightly reluctant to tear her eyes away from Brittany, and twisted round to face the tiled wall. Santana let out a little hum as Brittany's hands began sliding through her wet hair, rubbing in the shampoo. She could hardly believe how incredible it felt to have Brittany touching her so simply like this, gently massaging her scalp and combing her fingers through her hair. "Face me again." Santana turned back around and let Brittany pull her closer, letting her eyes fall closed as she came into contact with the warm water again. Brittany's fingers continued to work through her hair, rinsing out all the bubbles of shampoo.

Santana opened her eyes again and a tiny smirk appeared at her face when she caught Brittany staring at her body. The blonde blushed slightly and turned away to grab the bottle of shower gel. She squeezed some out into her hands and began rubbing it over her arms and shoulders. Santana felt that familiar twinge in her stomach as she watched the blonde's hands running over her bare skin, sliding over her stomach and down between her legs. _Holy shit this was hot._ She felt an overwhelming desire to touch her, to replace her hands with her own and so stepped closer. "Let me help you." Santana said, slightly surprised at how low her voice suddenly sounded. Brittany's eyes flickered up to meet hers, an undeniable look of lust filling them. Brittany took in a shaky breath and nodded, handing her the bottle of shower cream. Santana could feel her heart pounding as she squirted the gel into her hands and bent down to rest the bottle of the floor, before straightening back up and stepping even closer to the blonde. Her breath got caught somewhere in her throat when her hands came into contact with Brittany's skin, and she watched blue eyes flutter closed as she began smoothing them over her shoulders. She continued her gentle rubbing over the bare skin of Brittany's stomach, before sliding her hands up to cup the curves of her breasts. Eyes still closed, Brittany let out a tiny moan as Santana's hands began gently massaging her boobs. She couldn't help but get caught up in this moment; it was the most intimate she had ever remembered feeling with anyone. Sure, sex was intimate, obviously, but not like this. Nothing was like this. She finished washing Brittany's body, smiling as she found a tiny bit of pancake mix still on her neck, and watched as Brittany leant down to pick up the bottle.

"Your turn." Santana inhaled sharply when Brittany's hands immediately found the wet skin of her stomach and began softly rubbing in the shower gel. She felt another wave of heat rush through her as her hands slid around her back and brushed over her ass, squeezing gently before running up her sides and skating over her ribs. She let her eyes fall closed and let out an embarrassingly loud moan as Brittany's hands slid up to her breasts, repeating what Santana had done, massaging and squeezing gently. Brittany giggled softly and continued to explore Santana's wet skin. The combination of Brittany touching her like this, so sensually, and the heat and steam filling the shower made her feel dizzy and light-headed; her head was spinning deliciously. "Turn around so I can wash your back." Brittany said in a low tone that told Santana she was just as turned on. Santana obliged, and spun around to face the wall. Her eyes fell closed again as Brittany began massaging her shoulders and back. Santana's chest tightened and she took in a breath when Brittany's hands snaked around her waist and her palms spread flat across her stomach. She felt Brittany's lips press softly to her shoulder, moving up to suck on her neck.

"This is really hot." She husked into Santana's ear before taking the lobe in her mouth and sucking gently. Santana could feel her breathing becoming shallower, and the desire was quickly pooling in her stomach and between her legs. "Why have we never done this before?" She whispered and Santana gasped when Brittany's hand lowered, cupping her exposed centre. Everything was so hot right now. Santana leaned back into Brittany. Feeling her back pressed up against her naked body, sent a delicious shiver down her spine and it was all Santana could do not to moan loudly. She failed miserably though when Brittany parted her folds with two fingers and slid them through her centre.

"_God _Britt." She shuddered when Brittany dipped the tips of her fingers just inside her soaked entrance.

"Mmm, you're so wet." Brittany mumbled against her skin as she continued to kiss Santana's neck. Santana opened her eyes when she felt Brittany's hand leave her body and turned around to face her. Her eyes went wide when she saw Brittany slowly put her fingers into her mouth and suck them. She didn't think she'd ever been as turned on as she was right now, and immediately crashed her lips against Brittany's. Groaning as she tasted herself, she guided the blonde back against the wall, pushing their naked bodies together. She heard Brittany whimper against the kiss as their tongues moved with each other's, their breasts pressing together. Santana broke the kiss to begin kissing and sucking down the wet skin of Brittany's neck. Brittany moaned softly and lifted her hand to turn off the water, which was beginning to get cold. Santana continued dusting wet kisses over Brittany's collarbone and down to her breasts, wrapping her lips around one of her nipples and sucking. Brittany moaned louder this time and her hips bucked unconsciously forward, causing another wave of arousal to rush through her. Santana released it before slowly sliding down Brittany's body, letting her hands drag over her stomach and down her legs before she knelt down.

She heard Brittany let out a gasp when she realised where she was going and smiled, looking up at her. Brittany smiled back and let out a shaky breath when Santana gripped her thighs, pushing them apart gently. Santana placed delicate kisses over Brittany's stomach before sucking gently on the skin underneath her belly button. She could hear Brittany's breathing become more erratic as she continued down until she was level with her centre. Santana parted Brittany's legs a little more and couldn't help but lick her lips at the sight. Ever since that night a couple of weeks ago, Santana hadn't been able to get enough of _this._ She couldn't believe she'd never done it until then, but in many ways that made it all the more unbelievable between her and Britt.

"Santana…" She heard Brittany whine from above her, and decided she shouldn't waste any more time. She wanted to make Brittany feel incredible; she wanted to make her _girlfriend _feel incredible.

"You're beautiful." She whispered before placing a delicate kiss to her most sensitive area, causing Brittany to gasp quietly above her. Santana gripped the blonde's thighs as she pushed out her tongue, sliding it flat up the length of her folds. Brittany moaned at the sensation causing Santana to smile against her. When she flicked the tip of her tongue over her clit, Brittany bucked her hips forward and gasped loudly. She repeated the action, each time receiving a breathless gasp of her name from the blonde.

"_God_, you're so… fucking good at that Santana!" She moaned as the Latina continued to swirl her tongue around her sensitive bud. After she had become a lot wetter, Santana slid her tongue down and pushed it tentatively into her entrance. The way Brittany gasped loudly and shot her hand up to Santana's head, keeping her in place, was enough to spur her on. She withdrew her tongue before pushing it back inside her as far as she could go. Darting her tongue in and out at a furious pace, she felt Brittany's legs shaking. She gripped them tighter, holding the blonde steady, and pulled out her tongue. With her fingers, she spread Brittany's lips and found her bundle of nerves, sucking it into her mouth and eliciting a strangled gasp from above her. "Yes- _there! _Oh god, don't- _god, _don't stop!" Santana sucked harder, poking out her tongue and flicking it repeatedly over her clit until she felt Brittany's thighs begin to tremble around her. With one last gasp of her name, Brittany came hard into Santana's mouth. Santana slowly stroked her tongue over the sensitive area, guiding Brittany through her orgasm and tasting as much of her as she could. Eventually, Brittany's body stopped shaking and she let out a deep breath. Santana slid back up her body and placed a soft kiss to the blonde's lips. "Okay… _that _was amazing." Brittany said, still a little breathless.

Before Santana had a chance to reply, Brittany turned them around and pinned her against the wall. "My go." She husked with a wicked grin before dropping slowly to her knees.

_Okay. Shower sex is fucking awesome._

**…**


	21. Anger, Hurt, Frustration and Love

**Hey guys! Hope you like this one. As usual if there's anything you feel like saying or asking me about, please leave a review or message me on tumblr and I'll always get back to you!**

**A little dedication in here for AlabamaMiles... she'll be able to spot it ;)**

**Enjoy you wonderful people!**

Chapter 21:

**...**

Santana sat in her car in NYADA's parking lot, her forehead resting against the worn leather of the steering wheel and her arms crossed tightly around herself, trying to close herself off from everything around her. No matter how hard she tried, the anxious thoughts spinning around her head and the unsettling feeling at the pit of her stomach didn't seem to be disappearing. Ever since she and Brittany had parted ways a few hours ago to head to their respective classes, she hadn't been able to shake the uneasiness which seemed to take over her. She couldn't concentrate in her classes; the thrill she usually got from dancing and singing wasn't able to distract her as it had done so many times before. Instead, the sourness of Quinn's words threw her off beat, the bitterness and judgement which had laced her tone disrupted her usually bang-on rhythm, and the hurt and betrayal she felt shook her reliably powerful voice. She had sat through coffee with Kurt, simply going through the motions, nodding and adding the occasional comment whilst she sipped on her latte, desperately hoping the caffeine might jolt her from her uneasy state. Her forced smiles and guarded body-language didn't go unnoticed by her roommate, who watched with concern as he kept up light-hearted conversation in a hope to distract her from her clearly troubled thoughts. The only moment of release she'd had was when she'd received a text from Brittany about half an hour ago.

_This morning was incredible. I think I'm still recovering ;) I know that beautiful head of yours is probs driving you crazy with worry, but try to keep smiling. I love you after all ;) xx -Britt_

The small smile on her lips was a brief but appreciated relief from the anxiety surrounding her. She loved that Brittany knew her so well and could tell what was going on in her head without even being with her. She was right. Her mind was running crazy, over-thinking and over-analysing as usual, but still she couldn't stop it from returning once again to those thoughts.

_Why did Quinn react so badly?_

Santana hadn't expected it to go smoothly when she finally told Quinn about her and Brittany, but she never thought it would be like that. Quinn had been so angry, but still it was more than that. Santana couldn't stop her brain from constantly replaying the dialogue between them; she had gone through the argument so many times in her head that it had become almost comical, like a poorly acted TV sitcom. She could practically hear the audience's gasps after each biting comment, and the cheers and applauds when she slapped her hard across the cheek.

She gripped the steering wheel in front of her and screwed her eyes shut tight to fight back the tears which were beginning to sting them. She just couldn't understand why Quinn had been so aggressive. Her oldest friend was usually such a level-headed, rational person, and Santana had never seen her emotions get the better of her like that before. If something upset or frustrated her it was almost always impossible to tell; she had a long-practiced talent for keeping her emotions in check and retaining a measured, neutral demeanour, even when anger was boiling beneath that cold, hazel stare and tight-lipped smile. She was a freaking nightmare to play poker with. _So why was this different?_

Santana could understand Quinn being pissed with her for not telling her sooner; she knew she should have had the courage to tell her a while ago, and certainly under different circumstances rather than just blurting it out in a bar. But that went no way to excusing the hateful names that Quinn had called her or the venom that had laced each sour sentence. It had to be more than that. _Was it because Brittany's a girl? _Santana couldn't believe it would just be about that. Sure, that may have been partly behind why she was so judgemental about their relationship, but that detail never came up once amidst the range of colourful insults and curse words thrown her way last night, and she knew Quinn well enough to know that she could never be so totally malicious about something of that nature. Santana was pretty sure it was more to do with the fact that the girl was _Brittany. _

On the one hand, she understood. Don't get her wrong, she was not the slightest bit okay with how Quinn had reacted and it didn't in any way justify the things she had said, but she did understand to an extent. Santana hadn't exactly been the nicest person for the last few years. She was angry and upset that her dad and Brittany had left and she hated the world and everyone in it because of it, so why would she care how she treated them? She'd begun an endless rhythm of far too frequent parties, too much alcohol and way too many meaningless hook-ups, in a miserable attempt to numb the pain she felt because of the emptiness within her. Sure, she was one of the most popular girls in school, consistently surrounded by an entourage of Cheerios and could date any of the guys she wanted, but never had she felt so totally alone. What she hadn't quite realised all that time was that the emptiness could only be filled by one person. That's what Quinn didn't understand; it was Brittany that had been missing in her life, and Brittany she needed more than anything else. She was the only one who had ever been able to break through her carefully constructed walls and only with Brittany was she the best version of herself. She was the one person that saw Santana, like truly _saw _her, and the only person that knew how to love her, when everything she ever needed was to be loved.

Santana was jolted from her thoughts by a loud honk of a horn and glanced in the rear view mirror to see a slightly irritated-looking woman motioning with her hands to ask if she was coming or going. She lifted her hand to catch a single tear she hadn't realised had fallen over her cheek before sending the woman an apologetic wave and reversing out of the parking spot.

She hated this. She hated this incessant conflict going on in her head. She was so unbelievably happy with Brittany; she was so happy to finally be herself without pretending anymore, and so happy that she got to call the girl she had loved since she was six years old her own. But beneath all that was the underlying knowledge that her oldest friend wasn't accepting of it. She didn't want this sour taste tainting everything else that was so damn perfect.

As she drove back to her apartment, diligently stopping at each red light and monotonously shifting through the gears, she tried desperately to pinpoint the root of Quinn's bitterness. Why, when Santana had finally freed herself from her dark past and the person she used to be, was Quinn so intent on dragging it back up and preventing her from moving on? _Jealousy? Misguided assumptions? Or simply the inability to trust that Santana had or could ever really change?_

She pulled into her building's parking lot and shut off the engine. Letting out a frustrated sigh she stepped out of her beat up old car and slammed the door, before making her way up the several flights of stairs she really didn't feel like facing right now.

"Elevator's still broken." She announced to no one in particular as she entered the apartment and hung her leather jacket up on the hook by the door.

"We should really complain if it doesn't get fixed soon." Santana jumped a little at the sound of Rachel's voice, not realising her roommate was sitting at the kitchen island. She nodded wearily in response before making her way over to the couch and slumping down on it, glad to finally be home and relax. Rachel soon followed, handing Santana a mug of tea before plopping herself down next to her. "Here. You look like you could use some. Tea solves everything." Santana smiled weakly and gratefully accepted the cup.

"Thanks, Berry. Although I really wish that were true." Rachel smiled sympathetically and turned to face the Latina.

"I saw Tina earlier… She said Quinn wasn't at any of her classes today." Rachel said slowly, knowing exactly what was occupying Santana's thoughts. Santana shrugged and took a sip of her much needed tea before responding as casually as she could, despite the anxiety still plaguing her mind.

"So?" She didn't want to let on quite how much this was bothering her. She just wanted the exhausting worrying in her head to stop.

"Santana this is Quinn we're talking about. In all the years I've known her she's never once missed a class." Rachel said seriously. Santana nodded, giving in to the truth behind her roommate's words. "She practically had to be forced to go home that time she had mono." She added, causing a brief smile to appear on the Latina's lips. Quinn had always been such a goody-two-shoes, unlike Santana who would take any and every opportunity to skip class. It made her wonder how they ever became so close in the first place. "Do you… think you should speak to her?" Rachel asked tentatively. Santana sighed and brought a hand up to the bridge of her nose, pinching it slightly.

"I don't know." It was all she could say in response. She had no idea if she wanted to speak to her, at least right now. She hadn't been able to decide if she was relieved or irritated by the fact that Quinn hadn't tried to call or message her once since their fight. Santana wanted to explain everything to her, calmly this time and in a way that she would understand. She wanted more than anything for her to be okay with this. But she also wanted to scream at her, to slap her again and maybe even punch her. _In the face. With a chair_. God she was so freaking angry about the way Quinn had spoken to her and Brittany, but she didn't know if going to see her and getting it all off her chest would be therapeutic, or just damaging. She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon, and wished she could go back to this morning and all of its perfectness with Brittany. Rachel placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked at her intently.

"I know it sucks. And I know she's probably the last person you want to see right now, but I really think you do need to speak to her eventually." Santana leant her head back on the couch cushion and took in a deep breath. When she didn't respond, Rachel continued. "I'm not saying you should forgive her, because from what you've told me the things she said were awful, but this is Quinn. You need to talk to her." Santana nodded and closed her eyes, feeling tears prickling them again.

"Why?" She said barely above a whisper, not wanting to speak any louder for fear that her voice would crack. She opened her eyes and turned to face Rachel, whose eyebrows were pinched together and her head was tilted slightly to the side.

"Why do you need to talk to her?" She questioned gently.

"No. Why did she do it?" Her roommate's face softened in understanding. "Why is she being like this?" Her voice did crack a little this time and she screwed her eyes shut tight again, fighting back the threatening tears.

"I don't know sweetie." Rachel replied, her voice soft and full of concern. "I wish I did, but I don't. You know Quinn better than anyone, and that's why you need to speak to her, and find out where all this is coming from." Santana nodded again and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder, searching for a bit of comfort. "I understand her being shocked. I mean, I can't say I wasn't a little surprised myself when I found out – especially considering _how _I found out," Santana let a soft laugh escape her at her friend's teasing. "But I still don't get why she reacted so awfully, and why she said all those horrible things. I'm so sorry that she's made you feel like this. You know HummelBerry are here for you right?" Santana smiled and allowed Rachel to pull her in for a much needed embrace.

"Thank you, Berry." She said sincerely, wrapping her arms around the petite brunette. "Now tell me about your day as a big ass Broadway star."

**…**

_"Hey baby."_ Santana instantly felt herself relax at the sound of the voice she'd been craving since this morning.

_"Hey Britt-Britt. Can I-"_

_"Of course you can. I've just finished class, so I'll see you at home in like 15?" _Brittany cut her off, immediately knowing what she was going to ask. Santana smiled at the words of the girl who knew her so well.

_"Thank you. I just really need to be with you right now."_

_"I know, sweetie. And there's no other place I would want you to be." _Santana smiled again, feeling some of the tension beginning to melt away from her exhausted body. _"We can watch movies, get drunk and talk about how awesome we are." _Santana let out a soft laugh and heard Brittany reciprocate at the other end of the phone. She loved how she always knew exactly what to say to cheer her up.

_"That sounds like exactly what I need right now. Will… will Quinn be there do you think?" _She asked tentatively, hoping to god the answer would be no. However much she knew she needed to speak to her, she really didn't feel like doing it just yet.

_"Hopefully not. I'm pretty sure she's been staying at a friend's the past few days. So I'll see you soon?"_ Santana breathed a sigh of relief.

_"Yeah. I love you."_

_"I love you too."_ Santana hung up the phone and smiled as she grabbed her things, not bothering to change out of her sweats or put make-up on, and headed towards the door.

**…**

"Okay even though I've seen that movie like a million times it's still freaking hilarious!" Santana announced from her place next to Brittany on the couch as she took another gulp of wine.

"I know right! Like seriously, I think Megan and I are kindred spirits." Brittany replied, causing Santana to laugh loudly. The two of them were curled up on the sofa in Brittany's apartment, having just finished _Bridesmaids_, surrounded by two empty bottles of rosé and an embarrassingly large amount of Reese's packets.

"Britt, you're _way _too hot for Megan to be your kindred spirit." Santana told her, only to laugh again when Brittany turned to face her with chocolate smeared all over her mouth. "Most of the time anyway." She teased, lifting her hand to wipe the chocolate from her girlfriend's face. Brittany swatted her away playfully but couldn't stop the little giggle that escaped her lips. "But seriously, Britt-Britt, you're definitely a 10. And I should know, I'm a 10 too." She added with a smirk and Brittany rolled her eyes, before pulling her in and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. The girls shifted so that they were both lying down comfortably, and Santana nuzzled into Brittany's neck. She let out a contented sigh. "Thank you for this, Britt. This was exactly what I needed." Brittany smiled and placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"It's what I'm here for baby. And besides, I would have felt like a total loser staying in, drinking wine and eating my body weight in peanut butter cups by myself, so…" Santana chuckled against her shoulder and squeezed her arms tighter around the blonde's waist.

"How do you put up with me? Like, seriously, _I _can't even put up with me." Brittany giggled softly and let her finger brush over the tanned arm resting on her stomach. "You've just always got me, and I've never understood why. I just… I wish everyone was like you. If more people were like you, everything would be better, you know? Plus Quinn wouldn't be being such a total bitch." Brittany smiled and continued tracing soft patterns over Santana's arm.

"I guess you've just always been easy for me."

"Hey!" Santana exclaimed, playfully hitting Brittany on the arm. Her girlfriend rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"Not like _that. _I just mean that you've always been easy for me to figure out. I don't even know why, but you are. It's like… okay this is gonna sound stupid, but you know when we watched _The Wizard of Oz_ earlier?" Santana nodded, not quite sure where this was going. She had, despite much protest, been forced to watch _The Wizard of Oz _before her own choice of _Bridesmaids_, only agreeing after much whining and pouting from a certain blonde and promises that if she didn't love it, she would totally make it up to her later… So yeah, she had been convinced, and had to admit it wasn't as horrible as she expected. She actually kind of liked it.

"Yeah, and if you tell _anyone _I sat through that, I will kill you." Santana said with a mock glare but unable to hide her grin. Brittany laughed and squeezed her shoulders affectionately.

"I _knew _you'd like it!" She announced, flashing a smug smile. "Anyway, so you remember the flying monkeys in it?" Santana nodded again, humming contentedly as Brittany's fingers continued stroking her arm. "Well, no one fully appreciates how unique and awesome they are. Like, think about it. They're monkeys. That can fly. That's like the most awesomest combo ever." Santana smiled, always amazed by the wonderful ways in which the blonde's mind worked. "So in a way you're sort of like them. I mean, obviously way hotter, but 'cause you're so awesome, yet sometimes people don't see that. But maybe it's just because they're not looking in the right way… Does that make any sense at all?" A soft smile broke out across Santana's face as she nodded. She lifted her head to meet beautiful blue eyes looking down at her and mirroring the affection she knew was filling her own.

"Despite the fact that you just compared me to monkeys…" Santana began with a teasing smile. "That was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me." She looked down bashfully, her tanned fingers playing with slender, pale ones. Brittany placed her other hand under Santana's chin, lifting her head back up and attaching their lips together in a soft kiss. They broke apart and Brittany continued to look lovingly into her eyes.

"What?" Santana asked with a shy smile, feeling the colour heating her cheeks under the blonde's intense gaze.

"Nothing." Brittany shrugged, looking away and smiling. "I just love the little things you do that you don't even realise you're doing." Santana scrunched her face up and glanced back down to her fingers now fiddling with the hem of Brittany's shirt.

"Like what?" She asked in a small voice, unable to stop the shy smile tugging at her lips. Brittany tapped her on the nose with her finger and grinned down.

"Like the way your nose always crinkles and you look down whenever you're embarrassed." Santana rolled her eyes, trying to distract from the heat crawling up her cheeks. No one else ever noticed these kind of things about her. She wasn't used to being studied this closely, but she had to admit it was just another thing she loved about Brittany. "And the way I can make you blush so easily..." She added, causing Santana's cheeks to heat up even more. "It's hard to see 'cause you're so tanned," Brittany lifted her finger and brushed it softly over the Latina's hot cheek. "But if you look closely, it's there."

"What else?" Santana asked in a quiet voice, mesmerised by the way Brittany was now looking at her and by the sincerity of the words coming from her mouth.

"I love how cute you are first thing in the morning." Santana giggled and covered her face with her hands. "Like seriously, you act as if the world is ending when your alarm goes off."

"It _is._" Santana deadpanned, prodding a finger into Brittany's ribs and causing her to laugh.

"And your first words are always so croaky and never make any sense. It's adorable." Santana buried her face into the crook of Brittany's neck, hiding her flushed cheeks and muffling her embarrassed laughter. A small smirk then appeared on her face and she lifted her head to look at the blonde again.

"At least I don't talk in my sleep." Santana said around her grin. Brittany's eyes shot wide and she gasped dramatically.

"I do not!" She squealed. Santana simply laughed and nodded her head.

"You so do. Like, you have full on conversations with me sometimes." Brittany's eyes widened even further and she covered her face with her hands, much like Santana had done before.

"That is so embarrassing." She groaned. Santana pried Brittany's fingers away from her face and kissed them affectionately.

"Nope, it's cute." She watched the shy smile stretch across those perfectly pink lips. "You know when else you're cute?" Santana asked, smiling hard at how red Brittany's cheeks were becoming. The blushing blonde shook her head. "When you're confused or concentrating really hard on something, you always chew on your bottom lip and scrunch your eye-brows up like- yeah, like that!" Santana grinned and pointed at Brittany's face, which was indeed scrunched up in confusion. Her heart practically melted when Brittany attempted to look at her own expression by crossing her eyes. _So freaking adorable. _"You're also really cute when you get excited about something 'cause you start speaking really really fast and your voice goes all high-pitched and squeaky." Brittany laughed and rolled her eyes. "…And I love your laugh." Brittany's giggling softened into a smile at Santana's words. "Seriously, you can make me laugh just by laughing. I don't even need to know what you're laughing about, I'll just join in and try to figure it out later." She grinned as Brittany let out a soft chuckle and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I think I laugh the most when I'm around you." Brittany told the Latina snuggling into her side.

"Probably 'cause I'm such a dork all the time." Santana mumbled into Brittany's shoulder.

"Well there's _that,_" She tapped her finger on her girlfriend's nose again, causing her to giggle. "But it's also 'cause you're my best friend." Santana smiled and lifted her head to rest her chin on Brittany's chest. "If there was a number one rule for being a best friend, it would be that everyone should be like you." Santana felt her lips stretch up into an enormous grin at her girlfriend's adorable words. "And 'always bring food.' That's an important one too." Santana laughed throatily and shook her head in amusement.

"You're my best friend too, Britt-Britt. Even if you're a dork." She leant forward and brushed her nose against Brittany's before kissing her softly. "Now speaking of food, we've run out of Reese's cups. And wine." Santana grinned before lifting herself off her girlfriend and standing up from the couch.

"God, it's like we're one mind." Brittany said, causing Santana to laugh as she headed into the kitchen. The Latina opened the door to the fridge in search of more wine, but had no luck. The only vaguely alcohol-looking thing she could see were three vodka bottles, each filled with a different coloured bright liquid. Little pebble-shaped things sat at the bottom which looked kind of like white skittles. Santana furrowed her eyebrows and shouted over her shoulder to Brittany still in the living room.

"Baby, what the hell are these?!" A few seconds later Santana felt arms slide around her waist and Brittany's chin rest on her shoulder.

"What are what?" Brittany asked, turning her head to place a kiss under Santana's jaw.

"These weird drinks." She answered, pointing to the bottles of red, green and yellow liquids. She felt Brittany smile against her.

"Skittles Vodka." She announced simply, causing Santana to chuckle and twist around in her arms. She quirked an eyebrow at her girlfriend who just rolled her eyes at her Santana's ignorance. "Skittles Vodka. You dissolve skittles in vodka and get all these cool colours. Plus it's delicious." Santana smiled at her girlfriend's quirkiness.

"I can't decide whether that sounds completely weird or totally awesome." She said and Brittany grinned.

"Awesome, definitely. It combines my third and fourth favourite things in life. Sweets and alcohol." Santana chuckled and wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck.

"And what are your first and second favourite things…?" Santana asked, a playful smile on her lips as she leaned up on her tip-toes so that her face was only a few centimetres from Brittany's.

"Well you're number one obviously…" She began, pressing a gentle kiss to Santana's lips. "And I'm sure we'll be doing the second one later…" Brittany smiled devilishly as she watched Santana's brown eyes darken with lust. She winked before detaching herself from her girlfriend and grabbing her phone from the counter. "Now I'm gonna run to the store and get us some more wine, okay?" Santana simply nodded, still caught a little off guard by the sudden change in tone and feeling her heart beating a little faster at the mere thought of _later._ "Choose the next film, I'll be back in a few." Brittany kissed her cheek before swiftly exiting the apartment, leaving Santana to plop back down on the couch, a new packet of peanut butter cups in hand.

After flicking through a few channels, Santana heard footsteps outside the door and the jangling of keys. She smiled and shook her head, knowing Brittany hadn't been gone long enough to get to the store and had probably forgotten her purse or something.

"Baby, did you forget somethi-" Her words got caught in her throat when she glanced up to find a blonde she wasn't expecting to see at all. Her smile immediately fell and she could feel her heart rate picking up. _Oh god oh god. _Quinn got halfway through the door and froze as she caught site of Santana on the couch, Reese's cups in hand and two discarded bottles of wine of the coffee table. Santana shifted uncomfortably in her seat and awkwardly fiddled with the packet she held in her lap. _This could not be happening right now._

"Wow, I know things are weird between us, but breaking into my apartment and drowning yourself in alcohol? Really, Santana?" Anyone else would have passed this off for an attempt at lightening the mood, but Santana knew Quinn and she knew she wasn't trying to make small talk.

"Actually, I'm here with Britt. She's just gone to the store." Santana was surprised at how confidently the words escaped her mouth, because inside she was feeling anything but. She really didn't think she could deal with this right now. Quinn was the last person she wanted to see. She could feel the mixture of emotions boiling up inside her like they had been doing earlier that day – the anger, the worry, the hurt. She ran her fingers through her hair and could feel her hand trembling. She looked up when she heard the door shut and saw Quinn with her arms folded, staring back at her with that infuriatingly neutral expression.

"What are you doing, Quinn?" Santana's voice was still level and firm, but she was starting to feel vulnerable under Quinn's hazel stare. She watched as the blonde's lips curve up into a tiny smile, or maybe more of a grimace, she could never tell.

"This is my apartment, Santana." She replied simply, not moving from her spot by the door. Santana folded her arms to match Quinn's posture, trying desperately to keep her emotions in check and remain at least a little bit calm. "You're the one who's-"

"I don't mean _here_, Q." Santana interrupted, feeling the frustration and anger that had been building up beginning to boil their way to the surface. "I mean what are you doing? Why are you being like this?" Now that Quinn was here, Santana wasn't going to act normal and pretend like everything was fine. So it made her even more frustrated when Quinn's face remained seemingly unaffected by her words, that signature tight-lipped smile staying firmly in place.

"Being like what?" She asked with such an air of indifference that it made Santana want to slap her all over again. She stood up from the sofa, needing a less vulnerable position, and took a step towards the blonde.

"Oh I don't know, a total bitch?" She watched Quinn's lips curve upwards into a bigger smirk and felt her hands beginning to shake with anger. "An awful friend, and a damn right selfish person?" Quinn scoffed at her words. Like, actually fucking scoffed, and Santana could have lost it right then and gone all Lima Heights on her ass.

"Selfish?" Quinn repeated, the smile still playing at her lips but Santana could see she was trying to fight back anger. "You want to talk to _me _about being selfish, Santana? You're the one that's fucking our best friend and not thinking about anyone but yourself as usual. You're the one that's been sneaking around with _my _roommate, and didn't even have the courtesy to tell me until now."

"And what would you have done if I _did _tell you?" Santana countered, throwing her hands in the air with frustration. "Act like this? Tell me that I'm not good enough for her, like you have so many times before? Call me a _fucking slut_?"

"Oh I'm sorry you were offended when I called you a slut, Santana. I didn't realise it was a secret." She retorted with an amused tone, causing Santana to glare at her and take another threatening step forward.

"See, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you!" Santana was nearly shouting now; she could feel herself shaking with anger and she couldn't believe Quinn was still acting like this.

"Why? Because you were afraid I'd tell Brittany what you've really been like the past few years? Because you're terrified that if she knew that, she would never really love you back? You know that if Brittany had seen-" Quinn stopped herself when the front door suddenly opened and both girls turned to see Brittany walk in, a bottle of wine in each hand. Brittany's carefree smile faltered as she took in the scene in front of her. She glanced nervously from Santana to Quinn, then back to Santana again. Santana opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't think of anything that would ease the tension filling the room. Quinn beat her to it however, and muttered something about the fact that she was just leaving.

"No." Brittany said firmly, taking both Santana and Quinn slightly by surprise. "What were you saying about me?" Quinn looked at her for a second, before focusing her gaze back to the carpet.

"It's nothing, Brittany. I really don't have a problem with you. It's Santana that-"

"No." Brittany repeated, even more firmly this time as she closed the door behind her. "I want to know what you were saying about me." Santana felt a small sense of pride within her hearing Brittany stand up for herself like that. She also felt a tiny bit smug as she watched Quinn shuffle her feet awkwardly and run a hand through her hair, clearly not expecting Brittany to be so assertive. Brittany walked over, set the wine down on the coffee table and stood next to Santana, folding her arms too as she waited for Quinn's answer.

"I was saying…" Quinn began, taking a deep breath before regaining her composure and looking up to meet the two pairs of eyes staring back at her. "That if you knew the sort of person Santana was in high school, if you knew the real Santana, then you wouldn't-"

"I know the real Santana." Brittany said calmly, cutting Quinn off. Brittany turned to her right and smiled warmly at Santana. She continued, all the while holding her girlfriend's gaze. "She's the Santana that I loved when she was my best friend all those years ago, and the Santana that I love now." She looked back to Quinn. "She's still the same person, even if she got lost for a while, and I don't know why you're trying so hard to stop her from being that person." Santana let out a breath at her girlfriend's words, and looked at her adoringly. Trust her to be the one to remain calm in these kind of situations and say exactly what needed to be said.

"I'm not stopping her from doing anything." Quinn defended in her usual measured tone. "I just find it impossible to believe that someone can change so quickly. You came back into her life for what, like five minutes, and suddenly you expect me to believe that she's all sunshine and rainbows again?" Quinn's voice had now turned patronising and Santana could sense Brittany getting angry next to her. Quinn turned her attention back to the Latina before continuing. "Rachel and Kurt may be willing to forget about all your shit – hell, they've been sucking up to you since high school – but I'm not about to start doing that now. I'm the one that's dealt with you and your issues for as long as I can remember, and now suddenly I'm the bad person?" Santana could feel herself getting angry now. _What the fuck was her problem?_

"You know, it must suck being so bitter all the time, Quinn. You've never had an issue with my 'shit' before," Quinn scoffed at Santana's use of air quotes. "So what the hell's your problem now?"

"I'm not bitter, I just refuse to be as naïve as everyone else to think that you've so miraculously changed. And no, I didn't really have a problem with it before. Your sleeping around and 'I hate the world attitude' was all fun and games for a while, but it's not okay now when it affects one of my best friends. I'm not about to stand around and watch you walk all over Brittany like you have done to countless people since I've known you." Santana opened her mouth to defend herself but Brittany beat her to it.

"She's not walking all over me." She stated firmly, taking a step forward.

"Brittany, this really doesn't concern you." Quinn told her in her condescending tone.

"Actually it does concern me, Quinn. Santana is my girlfriend and I'm not going to let you talk to her like that, so I'm gonna need you to back off." Brittany said sternly, causing Santana to smile briefly before she saw Quinn's lips curve up into that unpleasant smirk.

"Oh, how sweet. Coming to your _girlfriend's_ aid." She mocked with a petty laugh before turning back to Santana. "You know, you've really got her wrapped around your little finger, S. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." This time, Santana stepped forward, taking her position next to Brittany and glaring at Quinn.

"You know what, Fabray? I was going to try and take the high road here, but I'm not for one second going to let you undermine what Brittany and I have. I love her, more than I've ever loved anyone – actually, no. She's the _only _person I've ever loved, and I'm not going to allow you or anyone else to tell me that I shouldn't." Quinn stood there, speechless for a second, glancing between the two girls opposite her, before taking a deep breath and collecting herself once more.

"I just don't think Brittany should be dragged into whichever one of your games you're playing this time. You can't just use her to make yourself feel like a better person, and pretend like you're not still the same-"

"Look, it's not that I don't care, Quinn. Oh wait- yes, yes it is." Santana bit back sarcastically, finding her infamous attitude again. Quinn simply rolled her eyes.

"Very mature, Santana." She retorted condescendingly. Santana saw Brittany go to take a step forward, but she placed a hand on her elbow gently, stopping her movements.

"No, you know what? I wanted to care about your opinion, Q. I really did. I wanted you to be happy for me and accept that _I _was finally happy. But you're making it really fucking difficult." She moved her hand from Brittany's arm down to her hand and gripped it reassuringly. "So I don't care what you think. I love Brittany, and your opinion isn't going to change that. Come on, Britt, let's go to my place." Brittany smiled at her before squeezing her hand and leading them towards the door.

"No." Quinn said firmly, pausing the pair's movements as they looked over to her. Santana couldn't tell if Quinn looked upset, her head bowed down and her eyes shut tight, or simply frustrated. "I'm staying with a friend. I just came to get a change of clothes." With that, she walked out of the living room and into her bedroom. The two girls stood there silent for a moment, not quite knowing what to do. Santana could feel her heart racing from the adrenaline and her hands still shaking. She only finally let out a breath when Brittany brought their joined hands up to her lips and kisses her fingers gently, mouthing _I love you _before Quinn reappeared. Santana expected Quinn to say something, anything really, a snide comment at least, but she didn't. She simply strode past them, overnight bag in hand, and walked out the door, letting it slam behind her.

Brittany and Santana stood quietly for a few moments, each letting out a deep breath and letting what had just happened sink in. Santana didn't know how she felt. She was angered by Quinn's words, hurt that she still wasn't supportive of her relationship with Brittany and frustrated by her condescending tone. But she also felt strangely content. She was proud and touched by the way Brittany had stood up for the two of them, and couldn't help but feel increasingly less bothered by Quinn's opinion. As long as she had Brittany, everything else would be okay. That's how it had always been.

Santana was pulled from her thoughts by a gentle squeeze of Brittany's hand as her girlfriend gestured towards the couch. She let her lead her to the sofa where she slumped down and snuggled into Brittany's side, allowing comforting arms to wrap around her shoulders and hug her close.

"Are you okay?" Brittany's voice was soft and caring. Santana nodded into the crook of her neck. Surprisingly, she was okay.

"I am, thanks to you." Brittany smiled and placed a feather-light kiss to her hairline. "Thank you for standing up for me, for us." Santana spoke quietly, but her words were full of sincerity. Brittany traced her finger up and down Santana's arm in the way she knew always made her feel better.

"I will always stand up for us. And I'm so proud of you." Santana snuggled further into her side and let out a deep sigh, allowing Brittany's embrace to sooth her as it always had.

"I just wasn't going to let her talk about us like that, you know?" Brittany nodded and kissed her forehead again. "I just… I hate her saying those things, because none of them are true. She just doesn't get it." Santana sat up a little so she could look at Brittany properly. She took both her hands in hers and squeezed them softly as she tried to explain what she was feeling. "She doesn't get that the reason I was so lost was because I didn't have you. I lost a part of myself the day you moved away – the best part – and now I've finally got it back." Santana smiled as she watched Brittany's lips curving upwards and those blue eyes sparkling beautifully. "And Quinn just doesn't understand that. She's never had that with someone like the way I do with you. She's never had someone who can make you a better person just by being with you, and who can make you feel whole just by loving you." She brushed a single tear from Brittany's cheek before kissing it softly. "She just can't believe that I can change because she's still exactly the same person she was in high school. And thankfully I'm not." She added with a grin, causing Brittany to chuckle quietly. "And I don't ever want to be, because I have you." Brittany leaned in and captured her lips in a long, deep kiss. It was soft and passionate, and Santana felt as though it conveyed all of what Brittany was thinking and feeling. They broke apart and Brittany rested her forehead against Santana's.

"I love you." She whispered softly. "And nothing and no one's going to change that okay?" Santana nodded, letting the weight of those words sink in before reattaching their lips and kissing her girlfriend deeply.

**…**


	22. Old and Wrinkly

**Hey lovely people. Sorry about the long wait! I've been on holiday so couldn't write, but I really hope you like this chapter - bit of a longer one since you had to wait so long!**

**Always love every one of your reviews, so keep them coming or message me on tumblr or whatever. Any ideas, random thoughts or questions are more than welcome! **

**Enjoy! x**

**…**

Chapter 22:

As Santana finished the soft tune she'd been humming, she had only just noticed the breathing of the girl in her arms steady out into a gentle rhythm, signalling that she had fallen asleep. She smiled softly and placed a delicate kiss to her sleeping girlfriend's temple. She reached for the remote to turn off the TV they were no longer watching and allowed herself to just sit there for a moment. She smiled, feeling the gentle rising and falling of Brittany's chest soothing her, just listening to the peaceful sound of her breathing filling the otherwise silent apartment. She checked her phone with her free hand and typed out a text to Rachel, telling her she was staying at Brittany's and thanking her for comforting her earlier. With everything going on with Quinn, she couldn't help but feel extremely grateful for her roommates' friendships, as well as the beautiful girl sleeping in her arms.

As softly as she could, Santana brushed a finger over the smooth skin of Brittany's cheek, before pushing some stray blonde hair behind her ear.

"Baby." She cooed softly, watching Brittany's eyebrows furrow slightly as she continued to stroke her cheek. She placed another delicate kiss to her hairline and smiled as she saw those beautiful blue eyes flutter open lazily.

"Hmm?" The blonde murmured sleepily, shifting slightly in Santana's arms and forcing her heavy eyelids open. Santana smiled down at the still half-asleep girl snuggling into her side.

"You fell asleep, sweetie." The Latina whispered softly as Brittany sat up a little and rubbed her tired eyes. "Let's get you to bed." Brittany nodded and allowed Santana to help her up from the couch. She led the blonde to her bedroom by the hand and they both changed into pyjamas before climbing into Brittany's double bed. Snuggling under the covers, the two girls lay there in comfortable silence, hearing the soft sound of rain outside as they interlinked their fingers. Santana smiled contently at the beautiful girl lying next to her, still sleepy blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight and wavy hair falling softly over her shoulders. "You're kind of perfect right now, you know that?" Santana whispered, leaning in and kissing those perfect lips as they stretched up into a shy smile. Brittany hummed softly and stroked a finger over the tanned arm draped over her waist. Santana watched lovingly as a huge grin stretched across the blonde's face. "What are you smiling so hard about?" She asked with an amused tone, feeling her own grin matching Brittany's.

"You know when you're doing nothing…" The blonde began, her voice all cute and sleepy, causing Santana to grin harder. "And then you start to think of something, and you smile and that smile won't go away?" Santana nodded, always finding the way Brittany rambled when she was sleepy so adorable. "That's what I always feel like when I look at you. I just want to smile and I don't even know why." Santana felt a warmth spread through her at Brittany's words. She always thought that people were their most honest and vulnerable when they were barely awake, letting their ideas and feelings surface without much thought or attention. It was beautiful, and Santana was so grateful that she got to have this part of Brittany all to herself. She pulled her girlfriend closer to her and sighed happily as she nuzzled into her shoulder. "Mmm sleepy..." The blonde mumbled into the crook of her neck causing Santana to giggle. "Can I ask you something?" Brittany said in her tired voice, pulling back a little and searching Santana's eyes.

"Of course." Santana whispered softly, running her hand soothingly through blonde hair. "You know you can ask me anything." She watched Brittany's eyes fall closed for a second, before opening again and meeting her own.

"Are you mad at me?" The blonde asked in a tiny voice, her eyes searching brown ones now filled with confusion. Santana furrowed her brow, wondering how this girl could think she would ever be mad at her.

"Britt, why would you think that?" She asked softly, lifting her hand to smooth over Brittany's forehead which was scrunched up in concern.

"I just… I mean, for leaving you." She explained quietly, dipping her gaze to look at where their hands were joined together.

"Britt-Britt…" Santana said softly, cupping her cheek and lifting those blue eyes to look at her again. "I could never be mad at you." She told her in a gentle voice, but one filled with sincerity. "Ever." She leaned down and kissed Brittany's forehead, willing away those lines of worry.

"I know, it's just… You said earlier that you lost a part of yourself the day I left and I…" Santana continued to stroke her cheek soothingly, hating seeing the worry and guilt in those beautiful eyes. "I just hate that I was the reason for that. I hate that you were so sad for all those years because of me and I just wish I could have-" Santana cut off her girlfriend's rambling words and swallowed them with a soft, deep kiss.

"Baby, listen to me." She said, pulling away only far enough to rest her forehead against Brittany's. "That wasn't your fault. Please don't think that, okay? It wasn't your fault." She repeated, needing Brittany to understand her words. She knew Brittany was tired and this was probably just her sleepy mind worrying unnecessarily, but Santana still needed to reassure her. She let out a small sigh of relief when Brittany finally nodded. "Yes, it sucked that you left." Santana continued. "Would I have loved to keep you for all those years and had my best friend with me through high school? Of course. Would I have been a less shitty person if I had you by my side? Probably." She admitted, all the while holding Brittany's gaze. "But sometimes life just happens. Things just turn out differently, you know? But please believe me when I say I never stopped loving you, you never stopped being my best friend and… and I think I always knew that you'd be in my life again." She watched those perfectly pink lips twitch upwards into a tiny smile and couldn't resist pressing hers against them for a second. "And the thing is, Britt. None of that matters now because I wouldn't change anything if it meant I get to be exactly where I am right now. With you." She added with a warm smile, watching Brittany's lips curve upwards too and the worry slowly disappear from her face.

"Okay." Brittany said softly. "I just hate that I couldn't be there to take care of you." She admitted quietly, those blue eyes flicking between Santana's, mirroring the honesty filling her words.

"I know, Britt-Britt. But you're here now." Santana replied, squeezing their interlinked fingers and causing Brittany to smile even wider. "And you always take care of me."

"And I'm never gonna leave you again, okay?" Brittany told her sincerely, waiting for Santana to nod before closing the distance between them and kissing her deeply. "I love you." She breathed in between kisses, causing Santana to smile against her lips.

"I love you too." Santana told her when they finally broke apart. "And I have something for you…" She added, unable to fight the excited smile stretching across her lips. Brittany's eyes lit up with excitement, causing Santana to giggle. She kissed Brittany once more before peeling off the duvet and climbing out of bed. Brittany sat up and watched her with anticipation, that giddy smile never leaving her lips as Santana fumbled in her purse to find what she was looking for. She'd been thinking about this for a little while now, but what with all the drama with Quinn, there never seemed to be a right time. But this moment was just too perfect.

She finally located the small object and clasped it tightly in her hand, hiding it behind her back when she turned round so that Brittany wouldn't see. Santana couldn't help but giggle again at just how excited and impatient Brittany looked, sitting on the bed and bouncing up and down, apparently a lot less sleepy now. She clambered back into bed, chuckling at the way Brittany was trying desperately to look behind her at what she was holding.

"Santanaa," She whined, drawing out the last syllable in her impatient tone. "What is it?" Santana finally gave in, taking her hand out from behind her back and revealing a small key with a duck-shaped key-ring attached to it.

"I want you to have this." She told Brittany, watching as her eyes narrowed on the object, her eye-brows scrunching up adorably and her lips twitching into a confused, yet excited sort of smile. "It's a key to my apartment." Santana explained and smiled as she saw the realisation soften Brittany's features. Blue eyes glanced up from her hand to meet Santana's own with a look of adoration.

"Santana…" She breathed softly, smiling at her girlfriend as she took the key and turned it around in her hands.

"I just thought that especially after everything that's been happening with Quinn, you should be able to come to my place whenever you want." She told her. "I mean, you practically live there anyway…" She joked, eliciting a cute little giggle from Brittany. "And I want you to feel like you have a home there, you know?" Brittany smiled that wide, gorgeous smile of hers and threw herself at Santana, pulling her into a tight hug and almost tackling her onto the mattress.

"Thank you." She whispered into the brunette's neck before pulling away and placing a soft kiss to her lips. "This means so much to me, Santana. And I love the duck, he's so cute!" She added with a grin, making Santana laugh affectionately. "Oh! And you can totally have a key to this place too. I mean I don't have a spare one at the moment but I can go get one and-"

"It's fine Britt-Britt." Santana interrupted her with a giggle. "Besides, Quinn might think I'm breaking into her apartment again if I just turn up out of the blue." She said, half-joking, and Brittany nodded in agreement. "But seriously, Britt. I want you to feel like you can come over whenever you want."

"_Whenever _I want?" Brittany asked in a playful voice, leaning in a little closer to her girlfriend. Santana nodded with a grin. "So, like, anytime… day or night?" She continued, the mischievous smile still playing on her lips as she leaned in even further, placing a kiss to the corner of Santana's mouth. Santana nodded again, grinning as Brittany continued to trail her lips over her cheek and under her jaw. She gasped as Brittany suddenly pushed her back onto the mattress, lifting a leg over and straddling her. The atmosphere in the room had changed abruptly, and Santana could feel her heart rate beginning to quicken and her breathing becoming heavier. She let out a little hum of pleasure as Brittany leaned down and returned her lips to her neck, kissing and sucking on the skin there. "You're gonna get so sick of me." Brittany whispered playfully into Santana's ear before nibbling her earlobe and sucking it gently.

"N-not possible." Santana managed to breathe out as she felt the familiar fire at the pit of her stomach start up. She still hadn't worked out how this girl managed to go from being all sweet and adorable one minute, to completely sexy and wound up the next, but _hey, she wasn't complaining. _Santana lifted her hands to stroke up Brittany's bare thighs, only covered by her tiny sleep-shorts, as the blonde continued her assault on Santana's neck. "I-I thought you… were tired, Britt?" She stammered out in between staggered breaths, feeling heat instantly rushing over her at the feeling of Brittany's tongue against her skin. Brittany sucked hard on her neck once more before lifting her head and locking her now darkened eyes with Santana's.

"I'm literally feeling _anything _but tired right now." She told her with a smirk, ghosting her lips ever so lightly over the Latina's. Santana couldn't take it anymore and gripped Brittany's neck with both hands, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. She heard the blonde hum into her mouth as their tongues met and began moving together perfectly, arousal coursing all over her body.

"You're so sexy right now, Britt." Santana breathed out in between kisses as she continued to run her hands up and down Brittany's thighs. "I love you so much." Brittany took Santana's bottom lip between her own and sucked gently before pulling away slightly and looking down at her with hooded eyes, still filled with so much affection.

"I love you too." She whispered, pressing her lips against Santana's for a moment. "So much. And I'm never gonna leave you again." She added, repeating her words from a few minutes ago, before kissing her girlfriend deeply again. Both girls inhaled sharply through their noses as their kisses slowly turned from loving and tender to more heated and passionate. Santana tried to control her heavy breathing as Brittany's lips left her own and reattached to the patch of skin just above her shorts where her tank-top had ridden up slightly. She let her eyes fall closed, feeling butterflies in her stomach where Brittany laid delicate kisses as she pushed her top further up. She lifted her arms, allowing Brittany to tug the garment all the way off, tossing it somewhere on the floor, before returning her lips to her tanned stomach. Santana could feel her abs tightening under Brittany's touch as her kisses trailed further down. Brittany sucked gently on the skin just below Santana's belly button and looked up to meet brown eyes, smiling warmly before hooking her fingers under her shorts and pulling them off slowly.

Brittany smiled and crawled her way back up Santana's now naked body, straddling her again and kissing her once more. The only sounds Santana could hear besides the soft pattering of rain outside, were her own racing heart beat and heavy breathing. She took that moment to think about how Brittany was the only one who could ever make her feel like this, and it overwhelmed her – in the best kind of way. They continued to kiss passionately, Brittany's hands gently exploring hot, tanned skin, leaving burning trails behind them. Santana traced her fingers up Brittany's thighs again before reaching the hem of her t-shirt and dipping her fingers underneath it. Brittany sat up a little and tugged her shirt over her head, throwing it to join Santana's somewhere on her floor, revealing the fair skin of her stomach and bare chest. Santana just lay there for a second, continuing to stroke up and down Brittany's thighs as she took in just how beautiful she looked in this moment. She let her eyes roam over Brittany's exposed torso, memorizing each curve, line and swell as if it was the first time. She let her hands move up to rest on Brittany's bare waist, gripping gently it and pulling her back down to meet her lips again. She heard Brittany hum against the kiss as Santana's hands brushed over her stomach, relishing the way the muscles quivered under her touch, before sliding up and finding her breasts.

"Mmm…" Brittany hummed against her lips as Santana began squeezing gently. She brushed her fingers lightly over her nipples, causing Brittany to let out a quiet gasp which Santana immediately swallowed with her lips. She continued to tug and pinch at her hardened nipples, eliciting beautiful little moans and gasps from Brittany which only further increased the desire burning through her body. She could tell Brittany was feeling the same as the blonde sitting on top of her began rolling down into her gently, each time sending another jolt of arousal through her. Santana moved her hands from Brittany's boobs to grab her ass, pulling her further down into her and causing another moan to escape her lips. Brittany pulled away for air, only to reattach her lips to Santana's throat. Santana continued to breathe heavily as Brittany's lips travelled down her neck, kissing and sucking harshly over her collarbone, before her tongue poked out and flicked over her already hardened nipple.

"Ugh, _Britt-"_ She gasped as Brittany continued to suck her nipple as her hand came up to squeeze and pinch the other. Santana's head was spinning deliciously and she was having a hard time keeping her breathing under control as the girl on top of her continued to drive her crazy. Brittany seemed to sense her need for more as she lifted her head from Santana's breast to kiss her softly, before making her way slowly down the Latina's body. She felt her stomach twisting and knotting in that familiar way as Brittany dusted kisses over her hot skin. As her lips trailed down the valley between her breasts and over her toned stomach, Santana was almost being driven wild with anticipation. Her entire body was tingling while she waited for Brittany to touch her where she needed her most, her centre that was now throbbing with heat and desire. Brittany softly kissed the smooth skin of her navel, before rearranging herself so that she was sitting between Santana's legs.

Santana inhaled deeply as Brittany gently pushed her legs apart and began dusting delicate kisses up the inside of her thighs. Her chest was heaving and she forced her eyes not to shut as she looked down at the girl she loved, who smiled up at her before placing the lightest of kisses to her most sensitive area. Santana took another sharp breath and finally let her eyes fall closed, relishing the waves of pleasure running through her as Brittany's lips continued to ghost lightly over her centre. Her movements were slow and loving, matching the peaceful sound of rain outside, and so it caught Santana a little by surprise when she felt Brittany's tongue suddenly thrust deep into her entrance.

"_God, _Britt- yes… mhmm fuck-" She gasped out in between laboured breaths as Brittany's tongue continued to work in and out of her at a furious pace. Santana knew she wasn't going to last long when her breath started coming out in short, fast spurts, as the pressure in her stomach was building up much quicker than expected. When Brittany's mouth moved to suck on her bundle of nerves and two fingers replaced where her tongue had been, Santana let out a loud moan and her hips bucked up unconsciously. She felt that familiar burning at the bottom of her stomach increasing and when Brittany whispered a soft _I love you_, her breath hitting her sensitive area before her tongue poked out and flicked it, Santana felt herself coming undone. "Yes- God, _yes _Britt- just… ahh just _there!"_ With a few more expert flicks of Brittany's tongue, Santana felt her legs begin to tremble as the waves of pleasure shot through her convulsing body. Literally squirming under Brittany's touch, she turned her head to the side and buried her face in the pillow, her hands gripping the sheets as her orgasm ripped through her, amplified each time Brittany's tongue stroked over her now extremely sensitive clit, or her fingers curled deliciously inside of her. Finally, she felt herself come down, and let out a deep sigh as Brittany withdrew her fingers and crawled back up her body, settling down on top of her and kissing her lazily. "You…" Santana breathed out with a soft laugh. "Are amazing." Brittany smiled and kissed her again.

"_You _are insanely hot." The blonde told her, causing Santana to smile wickedly before flipping them over, eliciting a squeal from a giggling Brittany. "And I love you."

"I love you too." Santana replied, still grinning as she pinned Brittany's hands above her head and kissed her hard.

**...**

The next evening, Santana was back at her apartment. She'd only had one class and was now getting ready to leave for Lola's, where she would be performing since it was a Friday night. Sat at her dresser in just her underwear, Santana was applying the last of her make-up when she heard a knock at the door. She ignored the sound, hoping that Rachel would get it because she really needed to finish getting ready. Hearing another knock, she yelled out for her roommate as she dusted some blusher over her cheeks.

"Berry, can you get that?" _No answer. _"Berry!" _Again, nothing_. Tuning into the sound of the shower, Santana sighed, realising that she would have to get the door herself because a Rachel Berry shower never lasted less than half an hour. She chucked the brush back into her make-up bag and stood up, thanking god that she'd showered earlier at Brittany's because there would definitely not be any hot water left by the time Rachel had finished belting out her usual shower playlist. She grabbed the black dress she'd picked out and pulled it on before hurrying towards the living room where she could hear more knocking. "Who is it?" She called as she stepped into the living room and zipped up her dress.

"It's me!" Santana smiled as she heard her girlfriend's voice call through the door.

"It's open, Britt!" She called back as she smoothed out her tight dress and inspected her appearance in the mirror. When she heard no response, she continued towards the door. "Baby, it's open."

"Can you lock it, please?" She heard Brittany ask. She turned her attention away from the mirror and looked over to the door with confusion.

"Lock it? Why?" Santana knew Brittany had wonderfully weird ideas sometimes, but she really had no idea where she was going with this one. "Are you okay?" She asked, suddenly slightly concerned. When she heard Brittany giggle on the other side of the door, she relaxed a little, relieved that nothing weird was going on.

"I'm fine. I just need you to lock the door. _Pretty please?"_ Santana chuckled and shook her head with amusement, deciding to go along with whatever this strange plan of hers was, and turned the lock on the door. She laughed again when she heard Brittany squeal and shout out a _thank you._

"Okay, now what?" Santana asked, intrigued to see where this plan of hers was going and amused by how excited Brittany looked when she peered through the peep hole. The blonde was grinning excitedly as she rifled through her handbag.

"Now go and do something." Brittany ordered her, still searching for something in her bag, a concentrated expression now on her face. Santana couldn't help but smile at how seriously she seemed to be taking this plan. "Pretend to be watching TV or something." Santana giggled softly as she realised where this idea of hers was probably going, her suspicions confirmed when Brittany pulled out the key she'd given her last night and smiled triumphantly. "Santana? Are you doing something?" The Latina smiled affectionately at her girlfriend's adorableness before bouncing over to the sofa and plopping herself down, intent on playing along with this plan.

"Yep!" She shouted over her shoulder as she reached for the TV remote. "I'm watching TV!" She smiled to herself as she began randomly flicking through the channels, hearing the sound of Brittany unlocking the door behind her.

"Honey, I'm home!" Santana laughed as she heard Brittany's sing-song voice and turned to face her girlfriend as she jumped down next to her on the sofa.

"Britt-Britt!" She exclaimed with a mock tone of surprise and leaned in to peck her lips sweetly. "I had no idea you were coming over!" Brittany grinned smugly, seemingly very pleased with herself that her plan at worked.

"Oh, well I have a key now, you see." She said nonchalantly as she jangled the key in front of her, causing Santana to laugh again.

"You're probably the cutest thing ever, you know that?" Santana asked around her smile as she kissed Brittany again.

"Yep, sure am." Brittany replied matter-of-factly, kissing Santana back before snuggling into her side.

"You really went to all that trouble just so you could use your key?" Santana asked around an amused grin as she stroked Brittany's arm. She felt Brittany nod against her shoulder and smiled.

"You've got to christen a new key, Santana. It's like a law." She told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, making Santana giggle affectionately.

"Of course. How silly of me." Santana replied with a grin, causing Brittany to roll her eyes playfully. "In any case, it was super cute." She added, pressing a soft kiss to her girlfriend's temple. Brittany smiled as she turned to face Santana.

"And you look super hot." The blonde replied with a smirk, raking her eyes over the extremely sexy black dress Santana was wearing, and causing her to blush. Santana couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the previous night, and would have thought very seriously about ripping her dress off right then if she didn't have to leave soon. Brittany giggled, clearly noticing the way Santana's darkened eyes were now staring at her lustfully, before winking and leaping up to walk over to the kitchen, leaving a slightly flustered Santana on the couch. The Latina felt the blush creeping over her cheeks and cursed the blonde for being able to work her up so easily. "Do you want some coffee?" Brittany asked over her shoulder as she reached into the cupboard and grabbed a mug.

"Yes please, baby." She replied, smiling at the girl who knew her like nobody else and knew she would need some caffeine if she was going to stay awake during her set list later. Her late night with Brittany, however incredible and wonderful and sexy, had definitely worn her out. "So you're coming to the bar later?" Santana asked as she snaked her arms around her girlfriend's waist. Brittany smiled and placed her hand over Santana's, using the other to switch on the coffee machine.

"Of course, baby. I love watching you sing." She replied sweetly, smiling again as Santana kissed her shoulder. "And I have something planned for afterwards." Santana cocked her head to the side and quirked an eyebrow, intrigued. "What?" Brittany asked around an amused grin as she freed herself from Santana's arms to hand her the coffee. "You're not the only one who's allowed to do surprises." She said, tapping Santana on the nose before moving over and sitting down at the island. Santana smiled as she took up a stool opposite her. "And I know you don't like surprises…" She added, giving her girlfriend a knowing look. "But this one will be good I swear."

"I like surprises from you." Santana told her sweetly, causing Brittany to smile. "But I would still appreciate a hint." She added with a smirk to which Brittany rolled her eyes.

"No, Santana. Then it's not a surprise." She told her, pointing a finger and narrowing her eyes at the Latina who chuckled. "Now, I have to go meet Mike, but I'll see you later, okay? I just wanted to pop over before and say good luck." Brittany stood up, smiling affectionately at the small pout on Santana's lips, who didn't want her to leave yet, although she knew that she had to finish getting ready. "Sweetie, I'll be seeing you in less than an hour." She told Santana with a giggle as she moved around to her side of the island and pressed a soft kiss to her pouting lips. Santana smiled and wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist, pulling her tight against her.

"You'll be right at the front of the crowd so I can see you?" Santana asked as she nuzzled into Brittany's stomach. Brittany smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders. "And you'll be there if Quinn shows up and starts another bitch fest?" Brittany chuckled softly and nodded again.

"Always." She placed a soft kiss to Santana's temple, before lifting her chin with her hand and pressing her lips to hers. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go see Mike before I get jealous and don't let you go." Santana said around a grin and playfully smacked Brittany's ass, causing her to squeal and giggle.

"Good luck, baby. You'll do great." She kissed her softly again before making her way to the door and leaving the apartment with a cute little wave.

**...**

Santana finished her last song and thanked the audience before making her way down the steps and off the stage. Her set had gone really well, and she couldn't help but feel pretty damn good. She loved the rush she got from performing in front of a crowd, and was so thankful to Puck for giving her the opportunity to do it. During each song she would smile every time she looked out into the audience to see all of her friends cheering enthusiastically and singing along – Tina, Mike, Kurt and Blaine were all there, and of course Brittany who practically shoved everyone out the way so that she could stand right at the front. _Adorable. _Rachel couldn't make it because she had a Funny Girl rehearsal, so she was forgiven, but Santana wasn't sure if she was relieved or slightly hurt that Quinn wasn't there either. It was strange not having Quinn around in their little group that had become so close over the past couple of years since they'd been in New York. Santana and Quinn had been through a lot together – hell, they'd known each other most of their lives – and now that she was finally happy and everything was going really well, it didn't feel right that she wasn't able to share it with her oldest friend.

Santana was literally knocked from her thoughts when she was tackled into a hug by a squealing Brittany telling her how amazing she was. Santana grinned and squeezed her back, before nearly getting knocked over when Kurt and Tina flung themselves at her as well.

"Can't… actually… breathe." Santana managed to get out, squashed in the tight group hug, before her friends eventually let her go. "Are you guys gonna do that every time I perform?" She asked with an amused grin.

"Yup." Tina answered matter-of-factly, causing everyone to laugh. "Now let's go get some drinks and celebrate!" Tina yelled, grabbing Mike's hand and motioning over to the bar with the other.

"Actually, Britt-Britt and I have some place to be." Santana replied, taking Brittany's hand and squeezing it gently.

"Ooh, a date?" Blaine asked excitedly.

"Yep, a date." Brittany confirmed as she turned to Santana and smiled warmly. The Latina lifted their joined hands and pressed a soft kiss to Brittany's fingers.

"You guys are adorable." Blaine cooed, making the couple blush a little and smile shyly. "Where are you going?"

"She won't tell me." Santana answered, pouting and pointing to Brittany who grinned mischievously. "Apparently it's a surprise." At this, Kurt snorted, earning himself a glare from Santana.

"What? We all know how you are with surprises, Santana." He retorted, the rest of them nodding in agreement.

"Oh, come on. I'm not that bad." Santana defended, hitting Brittany playfully on the arm when she snorted with laughter.

"Oh really?" Tina asked with an amused grin. "So Brittany knows about the karaoke machine incid-"

"Yes she knows." Santana snapped, causing her friends to laugh. She gave Tina the finger and shot mock glares at the rest of the group before tugging on Brittany's hand and leading them through the crowd.

"You never told me the full story about the karaoke machine, you know…" The blonde teased her with a playful smile as they made their way out of the bar and into the cold night time air. It was almost midnight, so there was definitely a chill to the autumn breeze. Santana stuck her tongue out, causing Brittany to laugh. She smiled as she felt an arm slip around her waist to keep her warm as they made their way over to Brittany's car.

"I still can't believe this is your car." Santana said, smiling in awe of the baby blue convertible in front of them.

"Yup, sure is." Brittany said happily as she let go of Santana to grab her keys and unlock it. "Top up or top down?"

"Top up. It's way too windy tonight and believe me, you do not wanna see this," She motioned to her hair. "At its full frizzy potential." Brittany laughed as she climbed into the driver's side, waiting for Santana to clamber in before switching on the ignition and pulling out of the parking slot.

The two girls chatted happily as they drove, holding hands over the console and stealing smiles as Brittany gushed about Santana's singing and Santana tried to press her for clues as to where they were going.

"Jeez, you really are rubbish with surprises aren't you?" Brittany asked around an amused grin as she continued driving. "Don't you remember the last time I surprised you?" Santana smiled and nodded, squeezing Brittany's hand that she held in her lap.

"Breadstix? How could I forget?" Santana replied with a warm smile as she recalled their first official date.

"See? So will you relax and stop asking for hints." Brittany said with a mock glare, causing Santana to roll her eyes and laugh. "It's not even a super-big deal. It's just somewhere I want to show you." With that, Santana smiled and let herself relax. She looked out the window, watching the city roll past, and was suddenly confused when she saw where they were pulling up.

"Britt, this is your apartment building." She said slowly as Brittany stopped the car. "Not exactly the surprise I was hoping for." She added with an amused grin. Brittany hit her arm playfully before turning off the engine and hopping out of the car.

"Shut up, you'll see." She told her as she walked around the car and took Santana's hand again. Santana loved that she was able to do something as simple as hold hands with the girl she loved, without caring what anybody else would think. She thought back to their first date at Breadstix and how nervous she'd been when Brittany had reached for her hand over the table, and couldn't help but feel proud of the both of them for how far they'd come.

"I love holding hands with you." Santana told her as Brittany led her into the elevator and pressed the button. She didn't care that she sounded about five years old, it was how she felt and she always wanted Brittany to know everything she was feeling. Brittany grinned and squeezed her hand, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

"I love it too." She replied with a smile, leading Santana out of the lift when the doors chimed open. Santana hadn't even realised Brittany had pressed the button for the top floor instead of the one to her apartment, and looked to her girlfriend, confused. Brittany simply gave her a mischievous grin before tugging on her hand and leading her through a door marked _fire escape_. Santana immediately felt the cool air hit her again as they stepped out onto a metal balcony. She let Brittany lead her up a set of steps, not daring to look down because of how high up she knew they must be right now. When they reached the top, Santana couldn't help the small gasp that escaped her lips.

"Wow." She breathed as she took in the sight in front of her. They were on the roof of the building, and she could see right over the whole city, the bright lights flickering almost magically in the darkness. Above them, little fairy lights were strung up, adding to the beautiful glow, and laid out in the middle of the roof was a red blanket with a few patterned cushions scattered over it. The whole scene was beautiful, and Santana could feel the enormous, awe-struck smile stretching out across her lips. "Britt…" She said softly as she turned to face the girl next to her who was grinning adorably. "Did you do all this?" She asked, gesturing to the fairy lights twinkling above them. Brittany grinned harder and nodded proudly as she led Santana over to the picnic blanket.

"Yup." She said matter-of-factly, causing Santana to smile affectionately at her as they sat down on the cushions. "I got Mike to help me with the lights. That's why I went to see him earlier." She explained, a smug smile still playing on her lips because her plan had worked out. "I was going to ask Rachel, but then I decided she'd be no help at all 'cause she's like half the size of me, so…" Santana snorted, causing Brittany to giggle as she began fumbling in her bag for something. "So yeah, I just wanted this to be special. With everything that's been going on with Quinn, I wanted us to have a night just to ourselves, away from everything. And plus, you totally nailed that performance so we need to celebrate!" With that, she pulled out a bottle of wine from her bag and two glasses, giggling again and the look of adoration on her girlfriends face.

"Britt-Britt, this is amazing. Thank you." Santana said sincerely as Brittany handed her a glass of her favourite rosé. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Brittany told her, leaning in and kissing her softly. When they broke apart, Santana took a sip of her wine and looked out at the incredible view of her favourite city. "I can't believe I didn't know about this place. Quinn's lived here for two years and I've never been up here." Brittany nodded as she took a gulp of her own wine.

"I know, right? I remember Quinn mentioning something about it ages ago, but I only discovered it when Lord Tubbington decided to escape out the window one night and run up here. So you can thank him." She said with a grin. Santana giggled and interlaced their fingers.

"I'll be sure to do that." She smiled and let her eyes fall closed as Brittany leaned in and kissed her deeply again, thinking to herself how wonderfully perfect this moment and the girl sat beside her were.

"I love it up here." Brittany said softly after a few minutes of comfortable silence, both girls drinking wine and enjoying their own little slice of peacefulness away from the bustling city. "It's so pretty. It reminds me of home. I have a balcony in my room at my parents' house and I always used to go up there when I was younger and watch everything below, and just think." Santana smiled at her girlfriend; she always enjoyed learning more about this girl, even when she didn't think it was possible.

"What did you think about?" Santana asked, rubbing soft patterns over Brittany's knuckles with her thumb.

"Life, the universe." Brittany said with a light chuckle. "Everything, really. I used to think about the future, how someday I'd be a famous dancer – or not even a famous one. I remember thinking that I didn't care where I danced, or even if anyone saw me, I just wanted to be able to do the thing I loved until I'm old and wrinkly and can't do it anymore." Santana let out a soft giggle and brought Brittany's hand up to kiss her palm.

"You'll still be all kinds of cute when you're old and wrinkly." She told the blonde who laughed that gorgeous, carefree laugh of hers which Santana loved so much. "I on the other hand, will probably be that crazy old lady who parents tell their kids to stay away from." Brittany laughed again, causing Santana to smile harder.

"You'll be _my _crazy old lady, though." Brittany told her with a grin, and Santana couldn't fight the warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach at hearing her say that.

"Yeah?" She asked around a shy smile. Brittany nodded as she topped up Santana's wine glass.

"Yep. You'll be that crazy old woman shouting random Spanish at people as they walk past, and I'll be a crazy old cat lady with like a hundred cats. But it'll be fine 'cause we'll both be crazy together." She said, causing Santana to giggle again as she took a gulp of wine. She would never get tired of listening to Brittany talk; she had always seen the world like no one else, ever since they were little, and she couldn't help but smile adoringly at the girl next to her as she continued describing this little fantasy. "We'll be the ones causing havoc in the nursing home, chasing each other on our granny scooters. I mean, we'll probably have no teeth by then and our boobs will be way down to the floor," Santana laughed again, Brittany still giggling as she sipped on her wine. "But we won't care 'cause we'll be having too much fun. And then our grandkids will visit us and you'll teach them to cook and they'll get bored of us rambling on about the good old days." Santana couldn't help the enormous, goofy smile spreading across her face right now, because Brittany had just said _our grandkids. _She'd have thought her heart might have burst if she couldn't feel it beating fast against her ribcage right then.

"You… You think about stuff like that?" Santana asked, her cheeks still hurting from the enormous grin on her face. Brittany nodded, a shy smile now tugging at her lips as blue eyes – even more beautiful under the glow of the fairy lights - looked deep into Santana's own.

"Yeah, I mean… I love you, Santana. I always have, and I know I'm going to love you forever." Santana smiled hard as Brittany leaned in a little closer, their eyes still locked together. "Is that okay?" Brittany asked softly when her face was just inches from Santana's, a playful smile now on her lips.

"Only if it's okay that I love you more." Santana whispered, leaning in further so that her lips were now ghosting ever so lightly over the blonde's. "Even when you're old and wrinkly." She added with a grin, and heard Brittany whisper a quiet_ okay_ before pressing their lips together in a long and passionate kiss, Santana setting her wine glass down to wrap her arms around her girlfriend's neck and pull her closer.

_She decided right then that she couldn't wait to be old and wrinkly with Brittany._

**…**

It was about 3am when the girls decided to head back down off the roof and climb into bed, exhausted from all the talking and extremely sleepy from the wine. Both couldn't stop smiling as they got into pyjamas and climbed into bed. They lay there for a little while, getting lost in each other's eyes and smiles, stealing sleepy kisses and just holding each other, until Brittany finally fell asleep. Santana lay there, listening to the soft rhythm of her girlfriend's breathing and thinking about the incredibly perfect evening this wonderful girl had planned. She couldn't explain the feeling she had when Brittany had talked about their future together. Even though they were fun and light-hearted, Brittany's words had touched her so much. Never in her life had Santana thought about her future like that. Sure, she had dreams of becoming a singer, maybe getting her own record deal, but she'd never thought about growing old with someone, having children and grandchildren. She remembered how she and Brittany used to talk about their dream weddings when they were about five or six, and how her mum would get annoyed because they used to steal pillow cases from the cupboard and use them as make-shift veils. But since then, Santana had never really thought too much about it; she just figured it wasn't really for her. But listening to Brittany talk about it, Santana couldn't help but think that maybe this was everything she'd always wanted.

She leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her sleeping girlfriend's temple, smiling as she pictured the two of them sitting on a front porch when they're old and grey, drinking tea like in the movies. Her thoughts drifted to their friends and how lucky they were to have them, and how Kurt and Rachel would be there too, probably still belting out Broadway tunes even without any teeth. And then she thought about Quinn. Here she was, talking about a future with her best friend and the girl she'd loved since she could remember, yet she wasn't even speaking to Quinn. It didn't feel right. She was angry with her still, yes, but she was also worried about her. Neither Rachel nor Kurt had heard from her, she hadn't been home tonight, and Santana hated this distance forced between them. For now though, she had the most wonderful girl in the world in her arms, and that was all that mattered.

**…**

A couple of hours later, Santana still couldn't sleep. It was one of those times when your body feels exhausted, but your mind is wide awake. Thoughts of Quinn and what she might be doing, or how she might be feeling swam around her head. It was like this perfect evening with Brittany had clicked something in her; she needed things with Quinn to be okay again, or at least the promise that they might be. She wanted to share this with her oldest friend, and she didn't want Brittany to have to walk on egg-shells around her anymore. It wasn't right.

As she lay there in the silence, she could have sworn she heard the front door open, but dismissed it and snuggled back into Brittany's side, determined to get some much needed sleep. When she heard it again, she sat up slightly, careful not to wake the girl curled up next to her, and peeled herself out of bed. Not bothering to throw on a sweater, she crept quietly out into the corridor and into the living room, noticing the light was on. Figuring Quinn must have come home, she was confused to find no sight of her, but decided she'd probably gone to bed. After a large glass of water to ease the slight headache beginning to set in from the wine, Santana thought about going back to bed, but decided she probably wouldn't have any luck sleeping right now. Instead, she quietly slipped out the front door and made her way back up to the roof where she'd been with Brittany a couple of hours before. If she wasn't going to get any sleep, the next best thing would be some fresh air and her new favourite view.

Pushing open the door to the roof, for some reason Santana wasn't surprised to see her oldest friend standing there, leaning against the wall and looking out over the streets below. She should have been surprised, but she wasn't. She knew Quinn, and she knew when something was getting to her, she needed time to herself, to be away from everyone else and to just think, and here was the perfect place. Santana took a deep breath and slowly made her way over to her friend.

"Don't jump." She said into the silence, making a half-assed attempt at a joke which seemed totally out of place with the tension that had been surrounding them the past few days. Quinn didn't turn around, but Santana heard a quiet laugh as she leaned her elbows on wall and joined her in looking out at the view of her favourite city. It looked so beautiful with the sun beginning to light up the night sky. Neither said anything for a while. They just looked out across the city, watching the few cars and people below them, neither wanting say anything which might break this peaceful silence. Santana spoke first, more to herself than to the girl standing next to her. "I can't believe I'd never been up here before. It's kind of amazing." There was a short silence after she spoke. She hadn't really expected Quinn to say anything, and both girls continued to stare ahead of them, the occasional honking of horns from the street below the only sound breaking quiet atmosphere. It wasn't tense, like their most recent conversations had been, but Santana could nevertheless feel the unspoken words filling the air, creating a distance between them despite standing so close. She'd almost forgotten Quinn was there when the blonde finally spoke up.

"Yeah it's sort of peaceful." Quinn's voice was quiet, and nothing like the defensive and condescending tone Santana had gotten used to over the past few days. She sounded tired, a little sad almost, and Santana simply nodded, waiting to see if she would continue. "I like looking down and seeing everything so small, you know? Puts everything into perspective I guess." And there they were, the words which finally brought Santana back to the present. They weren't spoken with malice or contempt, but they held a deeper meaning which reminded both girls that everything was not okay between them. Santana sighed softly, her gaze still fixed on the view in front of her, maybe searching for something there; looking for something to say, words that could explain to Quinn everything she was feeling. Before she could find any answers, Quinn spoke again, her voice still quiet and weary. "I come up here to think sometimes." Santana finally turned her head to face her. She watched as hazel eyes flickered over the streets below, that face that was always so neutral and guarded, now scrunched up in thought.

"And what are you thinking about now?" Santana knew this question would lead to the inevitable conversation she wasn't sure she was ready for, but her mouth seemed to speak the words before she'd really thought them. She knew they couldn't hide from this anymore; they were done skirting around the subject and ignoring the tension between them. She watched as Quinn took a deep sigh, still looking out in front of her, as if lost in some distant memory.

"High school." It wasn't what Santana had expected to hear and it made her turn back to Quinn. The blonde closed her eyes and took a measured breath before finally turning to meet Santana's gaze. "That summer after Brittany moved." She elaborated, before turning away to face the view once more. Santana continued to watch her closely. "I never really thought about it too much until recently. How much everything changed, how much _you_ changed." She took another deep breath and furrowed her brow, seemingly searching for the right words. Santana stayed quiet, allowing her to explain, and thankful that they were able to have a conversation without it turning into a shouting-match. "I always figured you were just sad and angry about your dad… But it was her wasn't it?" Now Quinn turned to face Santana, hazel eyes meeting brown as the darker girl nodded, knowing exactly who she meant by _her._

"It was always her Quinn." The words just came out as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She didn't even have to think about it; it had always been Brittany. As Quinn's gaze continued to hold hers, Santana took a deep breath before speaking again. "Yes, I was so angry about my dad leaving. I blamed everyone and everything. I hated him for it, and I hated myself because of it… But that wasn't what changed me." Santana turned away from Quinn's searching eyes and leaned forward slightly on her elbows, once again looking out into the distance. "Brittany, she… I can't explain it, I just…" Santana tried to figure out how to put into words what was going on in her head. She'd never been very good at this, at voicing the thoughts inside her head, and she wanted to find the right words that would make Quinn understand. "She left, and I felt the best part of myself leave too." That was the only way she could explain it. She wasn't even sure if that's what Quinn was asking, or if she was really asking anything at all, but that's all Santana could say. Quinn didn't respond right away, and both girls fell back into the strangely comfortable silence.

"It's weird." Quinn eventually said, still not looking at Santana, and speaking more out into the half-darkness than directly to her friend. "It's like being in a time machine or something looking at you now." She added with a small breath of laughter that surprised Santana. The blonde turned to face her once more, those hazel eyes searching her features and studying her. "You remember when we had coffee that time not long after Brittany moved in?" She waited for Santana to nod before continuing. "I told you there was something different about you, and I couldn't put my finger on it… But I see it now." A tiny smile curved Quinn's lips as she continued to look at her friend. It was barely a smile, and one that hinted at something like sadness, but it was there nonetheless. "You have that same look in your eye that you used to have every time you saw her… I never thought about it before – how you were suddenly this different person. I mean, we were all changing and growing up you know? I just didn't really think about it… You were still you don't get me wrong, and we all still loved you, you just… didn't have that look in your eye anymore." Quinn turned back to the view and let out a soft sigh. Santana did the same, taking in the words which she never expected to hear from her usually so guarded friend, and the hint of sadness which accompanied them. She thought about back then, how she couldn't have expected anyone to understand when she didn't even understand herself. She never fully realised until all those years later that it was Brittany that had taken a piece of her heart, one that she would never get back.

"I can't explain it any better than you can, Quinn." Santana said quietly, still gazing out over the bright city lights still flickering in the darkness, shivering slightly as the early morning air hit her skin only covered by her tiny pyjamas. She really should have grabbed a jumper. "I can't explain why she's the only person that's ever really understood me. I don't get why I never fully feel like myself unless I'm with her, or why I don't see myself unless she's the one looking at me. I don't understand any of it, Q. All I know is that I love her." That _was _all she knew, that was all that mattered and there was no other way to say it. She didn't understand any better than anyone else how one person can mean absolutely everything, and how you can feel like nothing when you're not with them. Santana held her breath as she waited for Quinn's response, and when it eventually came, she could have missed it. The blonde spoke so quietly, and in such a tiny voice that if she hadn't been standing right next to her, Santana would have thought it was a different person.

"It hurts." That was all she said, and all Santana could do was look at her because she had no idea what to say to that. She thought _she _was the one hurting, the one betrayed by one of her closest friends, not the other way around. Santana could still feel the remnants of anger she'd felt for the past few days because of Quinn, but she tried her hardest to push them away and listen to what her friend had to say. It was a rare thing that Quinn Fabray spoke about her feelings, and Santana wasn't going to stop her. "I just…" Quinn's brow furrowed again as she thought about what she was trying to explain. "Why wasn't I that person for you?" She asked, her voice still small and quiet. Santana's features softened a little, understanding now a little of the reason behind Quinn's recent behaviour. "Why couldn't I be the one to help you find yourself again?" She questioned, now turning to face Santana. "I've known you practically my whole life, I was with you through all the shit and the bad times, and I just… I tried, Santana, I really did and…" Her voice was a little less timid now, the defensiveness and the hurt beginning to lace it again as she continued. "And then Brittany comes back into your life for five minutes and changes you. She did what I never could – or anyone else for that matter and- it just hurts." She said again with a slightly defeated sigh.

"I don't know." Was all Santana could say. She was starting to get it. She was beginning to see that Quinn's bitchiness, her aggressive attitude and sour words were because she was hurting. Santana still felt angry, she was frustrated that Quinn didn't understand but more frustrated that she couldn't _make _her understand. "Quinn, I have no idea how to explain any of this." She told her, hearing the slightly frustrated tone to her voice but she didn't care; she needed to get this out. "I realise that the day Brittany left, we didn't just lose her, you lost me too, and I'm sorry for that." Santana shook her head, thinking back to how much of a bitch she was back then, and how many people she hurt, including herself. "I'm sorry for being such a shitty person and for being so angry, but I just didn't know how else to be. It just became easier not to give a shit about anything you know? It was less painful that way." Santana felt herself choke up a little over her words and took a deep, measured breath. She turned to her friend who was watching, listening intently to her words. "But you know I appreciate you right? I appreciate everything you put up with. You were my closest friend all these years and stuck by my side even though I was a total bitch most of the time. I mean, so were you, that's why we work so well." She added with a smirk, needing to feel some relief from the heavy weight on her shoulders. Quinn let out a soft laugh at her words before turning back to look out in front of her again. "But you have to know this isn't about a choice." Santana continued, her tone serious again; she needed Quinn to understand these words. "It's not about me choosing Brittany. You can't choose who you're in love with or who your soul-mate is. They just are." She watched Quinn close her eyes and nod slowly.

"I just wish you would have told me." This time Santana nodded.

"I know. And I'm sorry." She told her sincerely. "But you didn't exactly make it easy for me." Quinn opened her eyes and sighed heavily.

"It just hurt." She said again. "It felt like everyone had been keeping this big secret from me and I was the only one not in on it." Santana nodded again in understanding. She hadn't meant it to be like that, but she could see how it came across that way.

"I know. But you hurt me too, Quinn." She told her, still feeling the need to defend herself. Yes, she had hurt her, but Quinn had made her feel like shit too. "I didn't tell you because yours was the opinion I was most worried about. Yes, I freaked out at first when Berry found out, but it was you that I was scared about telling. You're my oldest friend and I had no idea how to tell you something like this. How the hell was I meant to tell you that my life never made sense when Brittany wasn't in it? How could I explain that I was in love with the person who's been our best friend since we were five, and who's now your roommate? I had no idea how to tell you that I'm in love with a girl. I had a hard enough time accepting it myself, and then to know that you didn't accept it… it hurt, Quinn."

"This was never about Brittany being a girl, Santana." Quinn said with a forcefulness which slightly took the Latina off guard. "I had no idea about any of the things you just told me – about all that stuff you were going through – so how did you think I would react? You couldn't just expect me to realise you'd changed when you never once let me in." Santana opened her mouth to speak but Quinn cut her off. "Let me finish, Santana." The brunette could hear the desperation in Quinn's voice, her need to get this out, so she stayed quiet and allowed her to continue. "You never once told me how you were feeling, or how much Brittany meant to you. Sure, we could all see it to some extent. It was obvious when we were little that you two shared a connection that no one else had – I spent enough time being the third wheel with you guys to realise that. And I saw the way you looked at her when she first moved in with me… But how was I supposed to trust that you weren't going to break her like you have been so intent on breaking yourself?" When Quinn had finished, she took in a deep breath and turned around to lean her back against the wall, facing away from the view. Her arms folded across her body, she stood and waited for her friend to respond. Santana wasn't sure what to say. She understood all of what she'd said, she did, but she still couldn't forget the way Quinn had spoken to her, and to Brittany, not yet.

"I get that, Q. I really do. And I'm sorry for closing myself off from you and from everyone else. But that's all I knew how to do." She said, leaning forward to rest her head in her hands and sighing with frustration. "But I just don't understand how you could say the things you did. Everyone else accepted Brittany and me, and were happy for us. I just don't get why you couldn't be. I know I've known you the longest, and I know you put up with a lot more shit from me than anyone else, but why can't you just be happy that I'm finally happy?" Quinn let out a long breath and shook her head.

"I was angry, Santana. And hurt, and-"

"You said that already." Santana interrupted her, feeling the frustration still bubbling within her but trying her best to stay calm. She appreciated how honest Quinn had been, and how calm and gentle she had been with her explanation, but it still didn't excuse what she had said. "I'm sorry for how I was, I really am Quinn. But I'm not that person anymore and I'm not going to keep letting you treat me as if I am." Quinn nodded and looked down at the ground. Silence fell over them again, with neither of them knowing quite where to go from here.

"So what now?" The blonde asked eventually, her voice tired and weary once again.

"You're my oldest friend, Quinn, and I love you, but I need you to accept the fact that I love Brittany, and I always will. I'm never going to hurt her. I get that it may take a while for you to believe that, but please try. I miss my friend." With that, Santana turned and began walking back towards the door, already feeling a sense of relief from the conversation they'd just had. This was all she had needed since her fight with Quinn; a chance to explain everything she was feeling calmly and to get everything out in the open. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard Quinn call her name and she turned around.

"I will try, Santana. I promise." Quinn told her softly, those hazel eyes full of sincerity. Santana smiled and nodded once before making her way out of the door and back down the stairs. They weren't back to normal just yet, Santana knew it was going to take more than just one conversation, but for the first time in a while, she knew that they were going to be, and she believed Quinn when she said she was going to try.

Santana felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she quietly opened the door to Brittany's apartment and made her way back to the bedroom. She crept into the bedroom, trying not to wake Brittany who would probably be asleep right now, and slid under the covers. She smiled as she looked at the beautiful girl next to her, eyes closed and looking so peaceful. She pressed a delicate kiss to her temple before rolling over and closing her eyes, ready to drift off into sleep and wake the next morning knowing things were going to be okay. Santana smiled as she felt the bed shift next to her and a pale arm slide over her waist to pull her closer. Brittany nuzzled into her shoulder, placing a soft kiss there before whispering softly.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Britt-Britt."

**…**


	23. The Blackout

**Hey guys! Sorry for the little wait, busy busy here. But I hope you like this one.**

**The song in it I'm sure you'll all know, but the version I was thinking of is an acoustic one like one of these: watch?v=RHgjX1oYHIo or watch?v=6dqVDQ-lF4Q**

**As always would love to hear what you think. Leave a review or contact me on tumblr.**

**Enjoy! x**

Chapter 23:

**…**

"G-mornin'." Santana said lazily as she felt the girl curled up next to her press a soft kiss to the crook of her neck.

"Morning beautiful." Brittany replied, giggling a little at how scratchy the brunette's voice sounded.

"Why do you always sound so perfect first thing in the morning and I sound like an old man with a cold?" Santana croaked as she rubbed her sleepy eyes and let out a tired yawn. Brittany giggled again and snuggled further into the Latina's side.

"Well first of all it's hardly _first thing in the morning _seeing as it's already…" She peered over Santana to check the clock on her nightstand. "…11.15. And second of all, I guess I'm just awesome like that." She said with a smug grin, causing Santana to let out a soft chuckle.

"I can't argue with that." Santana replied, hugging Brittany closer and pressing a kiss to her hairline. The two girls stayed like that for a while, snuggling in each other's arms and stealing lazy kisses here and there, neither of them wanting to move from the comfort of their warm bed just yet. It was Saturday after all, and Santana had no intention of getting up any time soon. The sunny autumnal weather seemed to have disappeared and the greyness and cold that had replaced it weren't the least bit inviting.

"So I spoke to Quinn last night…" Santana said softly into the comfortable silence surrounding them as she stroked a gentle finger up and down Brittany's arm. The blonde girl shifted a little, leaning up on her elbow so that she could face her girlfriend.

"Was that where you disappeared off to?" Brittany asked as still sleepy blue eyes searched brown ones for any signs that she should worry. Santana nodded and continued running her nails gently over the smooth skin of Brittany's arm. "Was it okay?" The blonde asked tentatively, humming softly at the sensation of Santana's fingers brushing over her skin. Santana nodded again and smiled, before lifting her girlfriend's hand and placing a gentle kiss to her palm.

"Actually, yeah." She told her, smiling at the way Brittany sighed and let her body relax against Santana's again. "I mean, she still managed to make it mostly about herself, but that's Quinn for you. We talked - as in properly talked instead of screaming at each other – so yeah, it could have gone a lot worse." She said around a little laugh which made Brittany smile. "We laid all our cards out on the table, and I told her about everything. I told her how about much I love you," She explained with a grin, leaning down and brushing her nose against Brittany's affectionately. "And about how she didn't have to worry about me hurting you because I would never do that." Brittany smiled again and leaned up to capture Santana's lips in a soft kiss. She interlinked their fingers and brought their hands to rest on Santana's stomach as the darker girl continued. "And she said that she was just angry because she was hurt. She just wished we'd told her and hadn't kept it a secret from her, which I get. I mean, it doesn't excuse how she acted, but I get it. And to be honest, I think she's a little jealous that she couldn't be the one to fix me." Santana laughed at the cute little smug smile which graced Brittany's lips and squeezed her hand. "Because you know that right? You know that you fixed me?" Santana watched the blonde's smile turn a little bashful as a hint of pink appeared on her pale cheeks.

"You never needed fixing, Santana." Brittany told her in a quiet voice as blue eyes met hers filled with so much sincerity. "You just needed a little help finding your way back. And I needed to find you just as much as you needed to find me." Santana smiled at her girlfriend's words and pulled her closer. They lay in easy silence again, Santana just taking in all things Brittany; the way her body felt pressed against hers, her sweet smell she loved so much, her breathing, her heartbeat. She could have stayed there for hours if she didn't suddenly remember they were meant to be meeting Rachel.

"Ugh, we have to meet Berry for brunch." Santana groaned dramatically, throwing her one free arm above her head onto the pillow. "Can't we just stay in bed and sleep all day?" Santana whined, turning to bury her face into Brittany's neck and making her giggle.

"Don't try and pretend you're not looking forward to it, Santana." Brittany told her with a knowing grin as she prodded her girlfriend's ribs. Santana squirmed away, trying to fight her smile as she pulled the covers over her head. "Come on, I know you love Rachel really, even if you won't admit it. Plus, we can have waffles…" She coaxed, continuing to prod and tickle the girl wriggling under the duvet. "With syrup…" She heard a muffled giggle from under the covers when her fingers pinched Santana's sides. "And blueberries…"

"No… don't wanna… more-_ahh! _More sleep!" Santana breathed out in between giggles as Brittany continued to tickle her.

"Fine, but I'm super hungry. And you know I'm just gonna tickle you until you get out of bed." Brittany said, making a final lunge for Santana's sides which made the brunette squeal.

"Fine! Fine!" Santana shouted between fits of giggles as she flung the duvet off her face. "I'll go I'll go. As long as I can have waffles." She added, narrowing her eyes at Brittany who laughed and pecked her lips, before lifting the duvet off and jumping out of bed. The blonde chuckled when she turned around to see Santana still sprawled out on the bed, her arms thrown above her head as she tried to regain her breath after almost being tickled to death. "How do you do that?" Santana asked as she stared back at the blonde, a goofy smile now playing at her lips.

"Do what?" Brittany replied with a grin as she took off her pyjama shorts and pulled on some jeans.

"You always make me laugh when I'm trying my best to be cranky." She told her with a pout which made Brittany laugh affectionately. She walked back over and pressed a lingering kiss to the Latina's pushed-out lips, before tugging on a hoodie and shrugging.

"It's not exactly difficult." Santana chuckled and rolled her eyes as she heaved herself – _very ungracefully _– out of bed and changed into her jeans and a loose sweatshirt. "So I was thinking maybe we should ask Quinn to brunch..." Brittany suggested tentatively as she pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. "I mean, don't get me wrong I'm still pissed at her for dissing my home-girl here." She added, putting on a gangster voice which made Santana laugh.

"I'm sorry, Britt, but you are literally the least G person I know." Santana told her with a grin as she looped her arms around her waist.

"Hey! I can beat-box! That's pretty G." Brittany whined with an adorable pout, causing Santana to laugh again and place a quick peck to her lips.

"Fair point." She said around her grin. "I take it back. But yeah, I think inviting Quinn is a nice idea." Santana smiled and detached herself from Brittany before putting her converse on.

"I just feel bad that she hasn't hung out with any of us in a while. I know it was kind of her own fault, but still. If she wants to try, we should let her."

"That's really sweet of you, Britt-Britt." Santana said, taking her girlfriend's hand and leading her to the door. "I can't promise it won't be a little weird still, but we have to start somewhere I guess." She smiled warmly and squeezed Brittany's hand. "Now let's go get me some coffee. If I'm going to be civil I at least need some caffeine in me first." She joked as they made their way towards the kitchen. When they got there, Santana was kind of surprised to see Quinn sitting at the kitchen table. She knew she'd probably be here because she'd been home last night, but it still caught her a little by surprise. Santana had gotten used to waking up in Brittany's apartment with no Quinn; the blonde hadn't been there much lately, so it was a little strange seeing her there acting so normal, clutching a mug of coffee as she read the newspaper.

"Hey!" Brittany said with a little too much cheeriness that Santana could tell she felt a little awkward too. Quinn glanced up from the paper and gave them both a small, if somewhat awkward smile.

"Hey." She greeted back, shifting a little in her seat and looking back down at her mug. "How'd you guys sleep?"

"Good." Both Santana and Brittany replied in unison, causing the three of them to laugh awkwardly.

"Is there coffee?" Santana asked, mostly in an attempt to break the slightly uncomfortable atmosphere, as she opened up one of the cupboards.

"Yeah, in the pot." Quinn replied, gesturing over to the counter as Santana grabbed mugs for her and Brittany. She poured them both coffee as Brittany sat down opposite Quinn and she couldn't help but laugh silently to herself as she watched her girlfriend. Brittany was never usually one to feel uncomfortable, but she actually looked rather adorable drumming her fingers on the island and whistling awkwardly. She handed Brittany her mug with a smile and leant back against the counter, trying not to cringe internally at the slightly uncomfortable tension in the room. It reminded Santana of being in an elevator with someone you don't know, and having to ride up 10 floors in extremely painful silence. She was thankful when Quinn folded the newspaper and spoke up.

"So… I was thinking I might come to Lola's tonight. You know, to watch you sing?" She said tentatively, glancing over to Santana. "I mean, if that's okay?" She added quickly, clearly unsure of her friend's thoughts. Santana smiled over the rim of her mug and nodded.

"Yeah, that'd be cool." She watched as Quinn returned her smile and took a sip of her own coffee. It wasn't a massive gesture, but Santana knew Quinn and knew that this was her way of trying, and it was at least a step in the right direction, one that Santana was grateful for.

"So have you two got plans today?" Quinn asked in a more light-hearted tone as she sipped on her coffee.

"We're actually meeting Berry for brunch in a bit, aren't we Britt?" Santana looked to Brittany who smiled and nodded before chiming in.

"Yeah, and we were wondering if you wanted to join us?" Quinn didn't respond right away, seemingly a little taken off guard by the invitation. She glanced from Brittany to Santana, who nodded in confirmation, before smiling softly.

"Yeah, that would be lovely. Thank you." She said sincerely and both girls smiled before letting silence fall over them once again. They all continued to sip on their coffees, Brittany and Santana making funny faces at each other from across the room as Quinn went back to reading her paper. After a few more minutes, Quinn cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly.

"Brittany, I um…" She began, staring down at her mug. "I owe you an apology." Santana looked up slightly taken aback. _Holy shit. That may actually be the first time Quinn Fabray has ever apologised. _She glanced over to Brittany, whose blue eyes were also widened with surprise. Quinn looked over at Santana for a second, before returning her attention back to the blonde. "Look, I know I've been a bitch and I took things too far. I've explained to Santana my reasons, and I'm sure she's relayed them to you, but I… I realise that I put you in a… _uncomfortable_ position." She took a deep breath before continuing. "You're my friend, and my roommate, and I should never have let the issues between Santana and me make things difficult for you. So I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I did and I shouldn't have made things so awkward for you, especially in your own home." She kept her gaze firmly fixed on Brittany, whose lips curved upwards into a small smile.

"Thank you." Was all she said, but Santana could hear how much she meant it. It meant a lot to Santana that Quinn had apologised to Brittany, because she couldn't help but feel bad for how all this had affected her. She looked to her girlfriend and smiled before setting her mug down on the side and pushing off the counter.

"We should probably get going. We all know what Grandma Berry's like when we're late." She joked as the others nodded and stood up. "Quinn, are you riding with us?"

"Yeah, I'll get us a cab?" Quinn suggested as she put her and Brittany's mugs in the sink. The girls accepted the offer while Quinn grabbed her things and disappeared out the door.

"I'm proud of you." Brittany said softly, walking towards Santana and placing a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"Thanks Britt-Britt. I'm proud of you too." She replied sweetly, giving her hand a light squeeze. "Now, I was told something about waffles." They both grinned and grabbed their stuff, before heading out the door and downstairs to join Quinn.

**…**

_Oh god._

It was officially happening. Rachel Berry was having her first diva moment. They all knew it was only a matter of time before this happened; Santana and Kurt had been counting down the days that it would take her to finally realise that she had actually got herself the main part in a Broadway musical - well, _off-Broadway, _but still. Santana had to admit she'd been pleasantly surprised by Rachel's lack of ego so far; her new role hadn't been the sole topic of conversation as she'd fully expected, and she'd been almost shy about receiving compliments and congratulations, even brushing them off completely at times in a very non Rachel Berry like fashion. But today, well, today was a different story. Santana wasn't sure what had happened, what had changed that had somehow brought back a glimpse of the solo-grabbing, gold-star-obsessed, high-school version of Rachel Berry, but if Santana hadn't been in such a blissfully happy place (thanks to the beautiful, blue-eyed blonde currently sat next to her), it would have really pissed her off.

Right now, however, it was actually pretty fucking entertaining.

Don't get her wrong, she'd had a little trouble keeping her cool when Rachel was half an hour late. It's not easy seeing the waiter take four different sets of heavenly looking waffles over to various tables while she was forced to wait for Rachel to arrive before ordering. And if it wasn't for the sound of her girlfriend's voice chattering happily away next to her, or the delicious feeling of her hand resting on her thigh, Santana might have seriously considered throttling the guy on the table next to them, who was practically having a food-orgasm as he raved about how good his pancakes were.

But when a very flustered-looking Rachel eventually entered the restaurant, Santana couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Firstly, she was completely soaked (apparently it had started to rain during the _hours _it felt like they'd been waiting) and an almost comical scowl was plastered firmly on her face as she struggled to push her way through the door whilst juggling an enormous umbrella, a script and a very large cup of Starbucks coffee. After shooting a glare in the direction of the poor man who tried to help her, Rachel strutted her way over to the booth and slumped herself down next to Quinn with a huff.

"God!" She groaned dramatically as she dumped her script down and kicked her umbrella under the table.

"Guess it started raining then?" Santana asked with an amused grin as she eyed the dripping girl opposite her. She heard Brittany stifle a giggle next to her whilst Rachel shot them both a dirty look.

"You think?" The brunette retorted sarcastically, tugging off her coat which was completely soaked through.

"Well at least your umbrella worked." Brittany deadpanned, receiving a snort of laughter from Santana.

"Everything okay, Rach?" Quinn asked, trying to hide an amused smile as Rachel began wringing out her extremely wet hair. The brunette threw her hands up in frustration and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Urgh, just people these days!" She huffed dramatically, not noticing or perhaps choosing to ignore the amused expressions on her friends' faces. "Some people are just so ignorant! I mean, how hard is it to- _wait_," Rachel suddenly turned to Quinn and stared at her as if only just realising she was there. "Quinn's here?" She asked, turning to Santana and widening her eyes as if to say _What on earth is going on?_ Way to be subtle Berry. Santana simply rolled her eyes and gave her a look back which said _I'll tell you later._ The thing about living with someone for two years is that you learn to how communicate just through eye-contact. "Right, well, anyway," Rachel said, presuming she'd get all the details about Quinn later, and returned to telling her story. "I've had the morning from hell!" She announced dramatically. "Well, apart from rehearsals – they were fantastic of course – but _god, _I can't even begin to explain how stressful it was getting over here. Firstly, it took my at _least _eight minutes to hail a cab. This one frightful old woman practically knocked me over to get in one ahead of me! I'm surprised I wasn't seriously hurt to be honest." By this point, Santana was gripping Brittany's hand under the table in an attempt to control her laughter. Brittany was squeezing her hand back just as hard, whilst covering her mouth with the other to try and muffle the tiny squeaks of laughter Santana kept hearing escape her lips. Rachel, however, didn't seem to notice because her rant was only getting louder and more dramatic. "I keep telling Sidney that I really should have a private car because he can't possibly expect me to have to pay for a cab fare to rehearsals and back every day. And I mean, what happens when opening night comes? What am I to do when I'm getting mobbed by adoring fans whilst desperately trying to find a taxi?" She glanced around the table in search of a reaction, only to receive a shrug from Quinn and another muffled bubble of laughter from Brittany, very unsubtly disguised as a cough. "So anyway, after at least another five cab drivers completely ignored me, I decided to give up and make my way to Starbucks because by this point I genuinely thought I might die if I didn't have a cinnamon latte. But of course the queue was monstrous and no one would let me in front on them. I mean, it's almost as if people don't realise that I'm a soon-to-be Broadway star with an extremely tight schedule!"

"How dare they?" Santana added in a sarcastic tone, one completely missed by Rachel who threw her hands in the air again.

"I know, right? I mean, who doesn't check daily? So anyway, I'm simply going to have to insist that Sidney hires me a personal driver because it's only going to get worse you know. I'm almost certain I got recognised at least three times on my way to the restaurant because people kept staring at me." Rachel told them, leaning back in her seat and taking a sip of her latte with a decidedly smug smile, at which Quinn roll her eyes. Santana felt Brittany squeeze her hand and lean in closer to whisper in her ear.

"I'm pretty sure people were staring at her because she looks like Lord Tubbington after he nearly drowned in the bath." Santana couldn't help the snort of laughter which left her lips at her girlfriend's words, earning her a glare from Rachel.

"It's really not funny, you know Santana." She told her seriously.

"Oh, no I know Berry." Santana replied with an equally serious expression on her face. "I mean, what are we going to do once the fan mail starts arriving at the apartment? Poor old Jeff the mailman won't know what's hit him." Brittany and Quinn both sniggered at this but Rachel nodded very seriously and scrunched up her eye-brows in thought.

"God, you're right. I haven't even thought about that." She said, causing Santana to roll her eyes in amusement.

"Well, while you do, do you think the rest of us could possibly order our food? I'm freaking starving." The others nodded enthusiastically while Santana called over a waiter. "Okay, listen up 'cause this is gonna go super-fast." She said to the now slightly nervous-looking man ready to take their order. "We'll have two extra-large waffles, both with blueberries, both with syrup. We want one with whipped cream and extra sprinkles and the other with bacon on the side. I'll have a large cappuccino and my girl Britt here will have…" She glanced at Brittany who mouthed _banana milkshake_, before turning back to the waiter. "A large banana milkshake. Got it? Good. What are you guys having?" She turned her attention to Rachel and Quinn whose eyes were slightly wide at the sheer speed with which Santana had just ordered for both her and Brittany. "What? I'm hungry." She said defensively, folding her arms across her chest.

"More like _hangry_." Brittany whispered, prodding her in the side and causing her to laugh. "I like that you ordered for me though." She added, making Santana blush a little.

"You two are adorable." Rachel remarked as she saw the shy smiled playing on the Latina's lips. Santana couldn't help but notice the way Quinn averted her gaze and glanced down at her menu before clearing her throat somewhat awkwardly.

"I'll uh, have the cheese omelette with a side salad and a green tea, please." Quinn said, folding up her menu and handing it to the waiter scribbling in his notepad.

"And just the tropical fruit smoothie with soy milk for me, thanks." _God, classic Berry order._

"You know, I wouldn't have bothered waiting for you to arrive if I'd known you weren't going to be ordering actual food." Santana remarked dryly, getting a stuck-out tongue from Rachel in response. She settled back into her seat and reached for Brittany's hand again over the table. She wasn't going to let Quinn feeling a little awkward stop her from holding her girlfriend's hand. After all, she was determined to show Quinn that things between her and Brittany were real, and with that thought, she turned her attention back to Rachel. "So Berry, how are the plans for Thanksgiving coming?" Every year since they'd moved to New York, she, Rachel, Kurt and Quinn had all had Thanksgiving dinner together. There was talk about going home at first, but they had decided that it would be cool to spend this holiday with their little New York family, and would then go back to Lima for Christmas to see their other families. Despite the famous turkey burning of 2011 (totally Berry's fault), it had sort of turned into a nice tradition.

"Oh, it's good. Slightly stressful considering how busy I am at the moment, but it should be fine. Are we all coming this year?" She asked the table as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Well that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you guys about." Santana said slowly, chancing a quick glance at Brittany before turning her attention back to the others. "I wanted to officially invite Britt-Britt to our super-awesome New York Thanksgiving dinner." She felt Brittany squeeze her hand and turned to face the girl now smiling widely back at her. "I mean, it's kind of a given that you'd be invited anyway, but you know, I just wanted to ask you properly as like, my girlfriend…" She added with a bashful smile, feeling a slight blush appear on her cheeks. Brittany's grin stretched even wider and she squeezed their interlinked fingers.

"I would love to come, Santana!" She said excitedly around her grin. "Thank you for inviting me. That would be all kinds of perfect. I mean, if it's cool with you guys that I join in on your _super-awesome New York Thanksgiving dinner?_" She asked, turning to Quinn and Rachel.

"Of course, silly!" Rachel said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as if wondering why she even had to ask. The three of them turned to Quinn who nodded and smiled.

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Brittany." She told her, and Santana could hear the sincerity in her voice. The Latina gave Quinn a grateful smile before turning her attention back to Brittany.

"Good, because I'm very thankful for you and so I want you to be there." She told her sweetly, lifting her hand to press a soft kiss to her knuckles. Ignoring the _awws _coming from Rachel, Santana continued. "Plus, we're gonna need someone else to supervise Berry in the kitchen." She added with a smirk.

"Santana, you know that wasn't my fault!" Rachel shrieked, causing her friends to snigger. "And anyway, the fire went out right away. Kurt said you could barely even taste the charcoal." She added hastily, making the others laugh louder.

"I still think it was an attempt at a vegan sabotage." Santana told the others with an amused grin, receiving a glare from Rachel. "Oh come on, Berry. Are you trying to tell us it was just a coincidence that all the vegetables were fine, while the only thing that caught fire was the fucking turkey?" Brittany giggled next to her. Rachel folded her arms in defeat but couldn't hide the small smile that tugged on her lips.

"Well in that case, I shall be chief-supervisor." Brittany announced along with a goofy salute which made Santana chuckle. "And chief-taster, especially if Santana's cooking." She added, shooting a grin at her girlfriend who returned it just as widely.

"Sure am. Berry got bumped off turkey duty after nearly burning the apartment down, sooo now she's on vegetables, I'm on bird and sweet potatoes, Kurt does cranberry sauce – which literally takes five minutes then he spends the rest of the time telling us how to do our jobs – and Quinn brings her legendary pumpkin pie, don't you Q?" Santana turned to Quinn, who'd been a little quiet. The blonde smiled and nodded.

"Sure do. It's a Fabray recipe." She said proudly. "And Brittany, if you're lucky, as my roommate I may let you in on it." She added with a wink and Brittany chuckled.

"Cool. I'm not so good at recipes though, they're super confusing. I'm an awesome stirrer though, so…" Both the blondes laughed and Santana couldn't help but smile at seeing them getting on again. When she heard her stomach growl from all the talk of food, she turned around in search of their waiter.

"Jesus, where the hell are our waffles? I'm freaking starving. I swear if he doesn't-" Before she could finish, she saw their still slightly nervous-looking waiter rush over with their orders and grinned. "Thank _god_."

**…**

"Ugh I had too much food and now I'm sleepy." Santana whined as they made their way out of the restaurant. She was glad to see it had stopped raining, but couldn't help but snigger and Rachel who kept muttering _typical _under her breath.

"It might have something to do with the third helping of syrup you had, Santana." Quinn joked, earning a mock glare from the Latina.

"Right well this was lovely, but I've got to get back home and read through my script." Rachel told them has she began trying to wave down a taxi. "Do you ladies want to share a ride?"

"I will." Quinn said, smiling at an increasingly more frustrated Rachel who was failing miserably at hailing a cab. "Although we may be here for days with this one." She added, pointing at the brunette who was now waving her script frantically in the air to try and get the attention of one of the taxis driving past.

"We'll just see you guys at home." Brittany told them, reaching for Santana's hand who looked at her questioningly. "Come for a walk with me?" The blonde asked her in a quieter voice. Santana squeezed her hand and smiled.

"I'd love to, Britt-Britt. I needs to walk off this food coma anyways." She added with a grin, making Brittany giggle. "We'll see you guys later." She told the others, who smiled and nodded.

"Sure. And I'll see you at Lola's." Quinn told her with a smile as she stepped out into the road and hailed the first cab which drove past.

"How in god's name did you do that?" Santana and Brittany heard Rachel ask as they began making their way in the opposite direction. They chatted happily for a couple of blocks, enjoying the sun which was beginning to break through the clouds once again. Santana smiled when she saw that they'd arrived at Central Park, and allowed her girlfriend to lead her along a small path and over to a nearby bench. There weren't many people around – probably because of the recent down pour – and Santana couldn't help but notice how beautiful it looked.

"It's so nice here in autumn." Santana said with a happy sigh as she admired the mixture of reds and oranges in the trees, and the golden leaves scattered all over the quiet path.

"Me too. I used to come here with my dad every Sunday afternoon. It's so beautiful." Brittany told her as both girls sat down on the bench. Santana let her head rest on her girlfriend's shoulder, and smiled when she felt an arm wrap around her to keep her warm from the slight chill in the air. "So thanks for inviting me to Thanksgiving." Brittany said as she ran her hand up and down Santana's arm.

"Of course baby. It was a given you'd be there anyway." Santana told her with a shrug.

"No, I mean like properly. In front of Quinn and everything and just… it was super sweet and adorable of you, so thank you." The blonde said softly, kissing her girlfriend's temple. Santana smiled and let her eyes fall closed as she snuggled into Brittany's side.

"You're very welcome." She replied sweetly. "Besides, Thanksgiving is about the things we're thankful for right? And you're the thing that I'm the most thankful for, so I wouldn't have it any other way." She told her truthfully and felt Brittany press another kiss to her hairline. "And also, it's gonna be kind of cool having you as my official date." Santana said excitedly, sitting up a little to look at Brittany properly. "Like, I mean now that Quinn knows, there isn't anyone we need to hide from anymore. I can kiss you when you arrive, I can hold your hand at dinner… tell you how smoking hot you look." She added with a smirk, causing Brittany to giggle. "And I can stare at your boobs all I like." Brittany laughed louder and poked her gently in the ribs.

"Is that right?" She asked around a mischievous grin and Santana nodded.

"Yup. And I'll be able to kiss you any time I want." She told her, her grin getting wider as she spoke. "Like right now. If I wanted to kiss you, then I could just do it." She whispered, leaning in a little and closing the small gap between them. She felt Brittany smile against her lips, before the blonde pulled away and grinned at her affectionately.

"You say the best things, you know that?" Brittany said, giggling when Santana nodded and pretended to pop her imaginary collar. "Okay, so now I sort of have something I want to invite _you_ to." Brittany announced a little more seriously, taking Santana's hands in her own as she turned to face her properly. "So normally I'd spend Thanksgiving with my parents, but since I'm going to be with you guys this year I figure I'll just go over there in the evening. And then we always have this big family barbecue the next day with all my aunts and uncles and my cute little cousins… And anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" She said, looking down a little shyly at their joined hands.

"To your parents' house?" Santana asked slightly nervously. Brittany looked back up at her and nodded. "With your family?" She nodded again. "To like, meet your parents?" Brittany giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Sweetie, you know my parents. You practically lived at my house when we were younger, remember?" She said with an amused grin. Santana smiled and looked away shyly.

"I know, but like, this is different. I'd be meeting them as your girlfriend, and I mean… it's just big that's all." She admitted in a small voice, a bashful smile playing at her lips. "Have you… do they know about us?" She and Brittany hadn't really talked about this yet – telling their families – and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She'd never done anything like this before, and on the one hand it freaked her out. But on the other hand, this was _Brittany. _

"Not yet." Brittany told her, squeezing Santana's hands to get her to look at her again. "I mean, I told them I was seeing you lots again and they were super happy about that, but I haven't told them about _us._" Clearly sensing her girlfriend's slight nervousness, Brittany smiled warmly and lifted her hand to Santana's cheek. "Baby, my parents love you." She told her reassuringly, earning a grateful smile from the Latina. She had to admit, she wasn't as worried about this as she would have thought she'd been, she just really wanted Brittany's parents to be okay with it.

"It's just a little scary that's all." She told her honestly. "I mean, I want them to like me as your _girlfriend_ you know? I'll be staying at your house, and meeting your whole family and… I just want to make a good impression."

"Honey, you will." Brittany said with absolute confidence, smiling sweetly and placing a kiss to Santana's palm. "Wait, does that mean you'll come?" She suddenly asked with a slightly surprised smile which made Santana chuckle.

"Of course I'll come, Britt-Britt. If you want me to, then I'll be there." Santana said sincerely, smiling as Brittany pulled her into a deep kiss.

"Thank you." The blonde whispered softly as they broke apart. Santana settled herself back into Brittany's side, snuggling into her and sighing contently.

**…**

Santana woke up in her apartment the next morning to the sound of rain pounding against the roof and wind rattling the windows. She groaned dramatically, rolling over onto her stomach and burying her face into her pillow, deciding right then that she would not be moving far from her bed for the rest of the day. The shitty weather from yesterday seemed to have returned in full force and she had no intention of braving New York's famous winter today. She was exhausted; her set at Lola's last night had gone really well, but being a Saturday she hadn't finished until well past midnight. So that, along with a heavy make-out session in the back room with Brittany afterwards – her singing was apparently a big turn-on for the blonde - had meant that she hadn't got to bed until at least 2 or 3. Santana therefore figured she more than deserved a duvet day, and snuggled further under the covers, enjoying the peace and quiet of an empty apartment. Rachel was at rehearsals (as usual these days) and Kurt was round at Blaine's participating it what they had sickeningly named their 'Snuggle-bug Sundays'. The thought of this alone was enough to make Santana's stomach churn, but she couldn't really care less as she enjoyed her lazy, half-awake state, allowing her mind to drift in and out of consciousness as she thought about the night before.

She remembered thinking that she could spend her whole life performing like that if it meant she got to see that same look on Brittany's face. The one that made her insides feel all warm and tingly; the one where the blonde's lips were curved up into an enormous, proud smile, and her eyes filled with so much love and affection. Santana also remembered how happy she'd felt to see Quinn standing there next to Brittany, smiling and cheering along with everyone else. That alone gave Santana hope that things were slowly getting back on track with her oldest friend, that she was actually making an effort and trying to make everything okay again.

At about 5 o'clock, Santana finally managed to pry herself out of bed, and only then because it was absolutely necessary that she ate something. Her growling stomach had won her battle to stay tucked up under the covers all afternoon, but she compromised by refusing to change out of her pyjamas and by taking the duvet with her as she made her way into the living room, dark from the grey weather outside. Cocooning herself in her duvet, Santana flicked the switch on the coffee machine and began raiding the fridge for something she could eat that would involve minimum effort. Settling on a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream and a large spoon – _no one's around to judge her okay? – _she grabbed her coffee and flopped herself down onto the sofa.

Too sleepy to even reach for the remote, Santana turned to look out of the window, only to see that the weather was even worse than when she'd woken up earlier. The rain was hammering down on the streets below, with small chunks of hail beginning to join it, and the trees were looking as if they might break at any moment with the force of the wind. Horns were honking loudly as people drove furiously to get home before the storm got any worse and the power went out, which was looking all the more likely by the minute. Just as Santana found herself hoping that Brittany was safely inside right now, her phone buzzed on the coffee table and she smiled when she saw who the message was from.

_I hate storms :( __xx – Britt-Britt_

Santana couldn't help but smile at how goddamn adorable Brittany was as she scooped a large spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth before tapping out a reply.

_I know baby :( __Just stay warm and safe inside okay? I don't want you getting blown away xx – Santana_

Hearing a loud crack of thunder, Santana wrapped herself tighter in her duvet and took a sip of her coffee. Just as she was thinking to herself what a weird combination coffee and ice-cream was, her phone vibrated again. This time it was Rachel, and Santana couldn't help but chuckle.

_Weather is looking extremely concerning. I think I'll stay at Tina's for safety reasons, so please do not be alarmed if I don't make it home tonight. X – Rachel_

Always one to be dramatic. The last storm like this they'd had, Rachel had insisted on constructing 'flood-defences' out of the sofa cushions and wedging them under the door, despite the fact that they live on the fifth floor and there was no way in hell water would ever reach them. So quite relieved that Berry wouldn't be back tonight and disrupting her peace and quiet by completely overreacting as usual, Santana got up off the sofa and sat herself down, duvet cocoon and all, on the window seat. For some reason, she'd always loved storms. While most people find them frightening, Santana had always found the thunder and rain strangely soothing. She remembered spending hours as a child curled up in bed just watching, mesmerized by the crackles of thunder and flashes of lightning, and finding it somehow beautiful.

Lost in her daydream, Santana was slightly taken aback when she heard the sound of the front door being unlocked. Guessing it was probably Rachel who had changed her mind and decided to brave the storm, Santana quickly hid the ice-cream behind her back – Berry always disapproved of her eating it right out of the tub. She was very surprised, but extremely grateful to see that it wasn't in fact Rachel, but Brittany who came bursting through the door.

"Britt-Britt!" She exclaimed happily, leaping up from the window and rushing over to the door, only to stop in her tracks when she saw the state of the girl in front of her. "Wait, what are you doing here? It's crazy out there!" She said, unable to stop the silly smile which stretched across her face at the sight of a slightly out of breath and completely soaked Brittany. The blonde was grinning ear to ear, her nose and cheeks adorably pink from the cold outside.

"I hate storms." Was all she said around her grin as her teeth chattered. She looked completely adorable wearing a cute little bobble hat and woolly scarf, an oversized jumper, jeans, and furry ugg-boots.

"Baby, you're soaked!" Santana exclaimed as she engulfed the dripping girl in a hug, smiling at the way Brittany's cold nose nuzzled into her cheek. "You should have stayed at home instead of getting all cold and wet." She took Brittany's freezing hands between her own and began warming them up.

"I know, but Quinn's not home and I didn't want to be by myself 'cause storms are super scary." She said in an adorable voice as her teeth continued to chatter. "Plus I wanted to be with you. Especially because you look all kinds of cute right now." Brittany added with a grin as she eyed Santana's stripy onesie pyjamas which were tucked into her fluffy socks. Santana felt herself blush a little as she began leading Brittany inside.

"Well I didn't exactly know I was having company…" She said with an embarrassed smile as she plopped Brittany down on the couch and removed her soaked hat and scarf for her. "By the way, how in the hell did you get so wet? Did you run here or something?" Santana teased as she ran her fingers through Brittany's dripping hair.

"Yup." Brittany answered matter-of-factly, causing Santana to laugh. "What? I'm not gonna drive in this weather and no cabs are going 'cause of the storm so I didn't have a choice!" She defended with a giggle, slapping Santana on the arm when she kept laughing.

"Well despite the fact that you're completely crazy…" Santana told her, tapping her finger on Brittany's still slightly pink nose. "That was very cute. And I'm glad you're here."

"Good, me too." Brittany told her, shivering a little and snuggling into her side. "You weren't busy were you?" Santana hugged her tight and began rubbing her hand up and down her arm.

"Oh no. I mean, you know just getting a bit of studying done." She lied, not wanting to admit that she'd actually only been out of bed for less than an hour.

"Is that right?" Brittany asked with an amused smile as she eyed the tub of Ben and Jerry's and the discarded duvet over by the window sill. Santana rolled her eyes and chuckled, realising she'd been caught out.

"Fine, you caught me. I was having an obscenely lazy duvet day and doing absolutely nothing, okay? Now go get that cute butt of yours into some dry clothes so you can join me!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Brittany replied with a salute, before jumping up and heading to Santana's bedroom. Santana lifted herself from the sofa and headed to the kitchen area to make some hot chocolate. As she plopped the last few marshmallows into Brittany's mug, she realised she'd probably made the drinks just in time because the kitchen lights were beginning to flicker. She grinned when she saw Brittany return to the living room wearing a pair of her grey sweats and her McKinley hoodie. "Better?" She asked, handing Brittany her mug who smiled gratefully.

"Mmm much. I like wearing your clothes." She admitted with a bashful smile as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Yay marshmallows!" She added with a cute little squeal which made Santana chuckle. Brittany's smile faltered when another crack of thunder echoed through the apartment and the lights flickered again. "Don't like storms…" She muttered under her breath with an adorable pout.

"Storms are fun, Britt!" Santana told her, pecking Brittany's lips and doing her best to get rid of that pout. "Firstly, they're perfect for hot chocolate," She began, stealing one of her marshmallows and popping into her mouth as Brittany smiled a little. "Plus, we can get all cosy in here and hide away from the world for a little bit. Go grab the duvet and I'll take your mug." Brittany did what she was told and joined Santana where she now was sat on the sofa. Santana wrapped them both in the duvet and handed Brittany her hot chocolate again, letting the girl snuggle into her side. "See? Not that scary." Santana said as she stroked her free hand up and down Brittany's arm.

"Not when I'm with you." Brittany told her with a cute little smile as she pulled the duvet further over them. She looked over to the window and let out a soft sigh. "I mean, looking at it now it's actually kind of beautiful out-" Brittany was interrupted by another loud crack of thunder. She squealed and buried herself under the duvet, causing Santana to laugh affectionately.

"What were you saying?!" Santana asked in a teasing voice, peeling the duvet down to look at Brittany who stuck her tongue out in response. "You know, you're totally adorable when you're all frightened." Santana told her, leaning down and pressing a lingering kiss to her lips.

"…'M not frightened…" Brittany mumbled into the kiss, making Santana smile against her lips. Just as they began deepening the kiss, a loud rumble of thunder followed by a flash of lightning made them both jump apart. Dabbing the spot on her duvet where Santana had managed to spill some of her hot chocolate, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Brittany with her eyes shut tight and her eye-brows pinched together in worry.

"Baby, it's okay." She cooed, lifting her hand to stroke her girlfriend's cheek soothingly. "It's just a bit of thunder, Britt-Britt. It's really nothing to worry a-" Santana was cut off when all the lights suddenly went out, plunging them into almost complete darkness. She heard Brittany squeal again and pull her tight against her. "Or not…" Santana said around a small laugh. Brittany simply nuzzled her face further into Santana's shoulder. "Okay, no need to panic!" Santana announced in her most cheerful tone as she lifted herself from the sofa and rested her drink down on the coffee table. "I'm sure the power will be back on soon, but in the meantime… I'm pretty sure Berry keeps an entire drawer full of candles around here somewhere." Santana said as she began rifling through the chest of drawers, now feeling a little guilty for teasing Rachel mercilessly about her utterly useless candle obsession. "Aha! Here we go. Britt, I think there are some matches in the drawer of the coffee table, could you grab them sweetie?" She asked, turning round with a bunch of different candles in her arms. Brittany nodded and sat up, still perfectly cocooned in the duvet, and began searching for the box of matches.

A few minutes later, Santana had managed to light a load of candles and arranged them around the room, with no help from Brittany who was still curled up in the duvet looking completely terrified as thunder continued to rumble through the apartment.

"See? How pretty does this look?" Santana asked as she plopped herself back down next to her girlfriend and allowed her to snuggle into her side.

"It actually looks kind of amazing." Brittany remarked as she glanced around the apartment, which looked all kinds of romantic with the glow of the candlelight. "Thanks Santana." She said sweetly, placing a kiss to her cheek.

"You're very welcome. Now, we have two options for a blackout." Santana explained, crossing her legs Indian-style and turning to face Brittany, determined to distract her from the sound of the rain still beating down outside. "We can either play an awesome blackout game. Or we could eat the entire contents of the fridge, seeing as the power's not working and it'll all go off anyway." She said with a grin as Brittany giggled.

"Well it would be irresponsible _not_ to eat the entire contents of the fridge. We wouldn't want all that food going bad…" Brittany said, making Santana chuckle. "Game first, food later?" Santana nodded as she watched Brittany struggle to shift herself into a cross-legged position whilst still wrapped up tight in the duvet. _Adorable._ "What shall we play?" Santana tapped her finger on her chin while she thought for a second.

"Snog, marry or punch in the face?" Santana suggested, laughing when Brittany gave her a very confused look. "It's like snog, marry, avoid, but more fun. You get a choice of three people and you say who you'd want to kiss, who you would marry and who you'd give a good smack." Brittany giggled and nodded, shifting herself a little to get more comfortable.

"Okay, I'll go first." Brittany announced, an excited grin playing on her lips. Santana smiled triumphantly, glad she'd got her to forget about the storm still raging outside, at least for the time being. "Kurt… Rachel, aaand… Puck." She said after a few moments. Santana thought for a second as Brittany bounced up and down excitedly waiting for her answer.

"Hmm… I'd marry Kurt. 'Cause you know, it's Kurt. He wouldn't expect any _action,_ and he could still date Blaine and I could still have you." Brittany nodded, clearly understanding Santana's logic. "I guess I'd have to kiss Puck… I mean, gross, but I've done it before I could do it again. And then I'd punch Berry. 100%" She said with a decisive nod, making Brittany giggle.

"That's mean, Santana." She told her with a grin.

"What? I'm not gonna make-out with Berry and I'm sure as hell not gonna marry her crazy ass. Besides, haven't you ever thought about it? I mean I love the girl, but you have to admit it would be kind of satisfying." She said with a grin. Brittany rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"Fine, it kind of would." She admitted, laughing when Santana fist-pumped the air triumphantly. "Okay, okay. You're turn."

"Right, um… Blaine, Quinn and Mike."

"Easy. I'd marry Blaine. That way if you're still married to Kurt, you and I would have a steamy affair whilst those two could do the same." She explained as if it meant all the sense in the world. Santana nodded. "I'd kiss Mike, 'cause he's such a sweetie." She said, rolling her eyes and chuckling at Santana who shot her a mock glare. "And I'd punch Quinn. I mean, we're okay now, and I'm not saying I'd enjoy it, but she still called you a slut, so…" Santana laughed and leaned in to peck Brittany's lips.

"Thanks, baby. It means a lot that you'd punch Quinn for me. Hypothetically of course." She told her as Brittany kissed her again.

"Of course." The blonde replied with a grin. "Okay, I've got one. Nathalie Portman, Mila Kunis or… Miley Cyrus."

"Ooh good one." Santana told her, laughing when Brittany grinned smugly. "Okay I'd kiss Natalie Portman – she's definitely hot – marry Mila Kunis and without question punch Miley Cyrus. I mean, if I have to see her dry fucking another foam finger I'm gonna lose my shit." Both girls laughed at this, and they continued to have fun shooting scenarios back and forth, each getting harder and more out-there, to the point where they were deciding between Jeff the creepy mailman, both of Rachel's dads, and Lord Tubbington.

An hour or so later, the two girls were still curled up on the sofa with half a bottle of wine down between them – it would have been wrong to let it go warm in the fridge after all. Santana had managed to mostly keep Brittany's mind away from the growing storm outside, only failing when a flash of lightning would illuminate the dark living room, or a crash of thunder would make Brittany gasp and hide under the duvet again. Santana on the other hand, was totally calm, allowing the gentle rumbles and pattering of rain sooth her, and the girl snuggling into her side relax her as she always did. As Santana took another sip of rosé, she heard Brittany let out a content sigh next to her.

"Remember back in Lima how we used to sit out on your back porch when it was raining?" Brittany asked in a soft voice as she traced her finger lazily over Santana's thigh. Santana smiled and nodded, letting her mind drift back to all those years ago, how towards the end of summer they would spend hours just sitting and talking about everything and nothing, watching as the rain fell around them. She laughed softly, remembering how Brittany would make them stay out there until the rain would stop and she could find a rainbow.

"Yeah. We'd stay out there for as long as we could until my parents made us come in." Santana said with a lazy smile.

"Do you remember when I used to get scared of the thunder… how you'd sing to me?" Brittany asked, her voice still soft and quiet, as if her mind was lost in this distant memory. Santana nodded again and pulled her girlfriend closer. She began quietly humming a familiar tune as she brushed her fingers through soft blonde hair.

"I love that song." Brittany remarked after a while, her fingers still tracing soft patterns on Santana's onsie-clad leg. The Latina smiled and began singing the words softly.

_She's got a smile that it seems to me_

_Reminds me of childhood memories_

_Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky._

She watched as Brittany smiled and let her eyes fall closed. Santana hugged her tighter and couldn't help the goofy grin which stretched across her lips as she sang the words to a song which could so easily have been written about the beautiful girl in her arms.

_Now and then when I see her face_

_She takes me away to that special place_

_And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry._

_Oh, oh, sweet child of mine. _

_Oh, oh, sweet love of mine._

Santana smiled as Brittany's eyes fluttered open at the next words, those perfectly pink lips curving upwards as she sang.

_She's got eyes of the bluest skies_

_As if they thought of rain._

_I hate to look into those eyes_

_And see an ounce of pain._

Santana lifted her hand and began brushing her fingers through soft blonde hair again, Brittany leaning into her touch and smiling adoringly.

_Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place_

_Where as a child I'd hide_

_And pray to the thunder and the rain_

_To quietly pass me by._

Brittany smiled and nuzzled into Santana's shoulder, pressing a delicate kiss to her collarbone as she sang the chorus again.

_Oh, oh, sweet child of mine. _

_Oh, oh, sweet love of mine._

Santana finished singing and leant down to kiss Brittany's hairline, smiling as the blonde let out a happy sigh and interlinked their fingers together.

"My mum used to sing that to me when I was little." Brittany told her, sitting up a little and looking at her with that look Santana knew she would never get tired of.

"I know." She said softly. "It reminds me of you." She added, leaning in and kissing Brittany again. Something else she would never get tired of. When another crackle of thunder ripped through the room, Brittany jumped again and squeezed Santana's hand tight. "Know what else I remember about those rainy days?" Santana asked, desperately wanting to distract Brittany again. The blonde shook her head with that adorable pout back on her lips. "The bucket lists we made. Do you still have yours?" Santana watched as Brittany nodded, the smile returning to those perfect lips.

"Of course. It's at my parents' house in a little box of stuff I kept. Do you?" Santana grinned and nodded, before standing up from the couch. She went to make her way to her room where she knew the list was when Brittany grabbed her hand. "Be careful. You know, 'cause of the storm." She told her in probably the most adorably serious voice Santana had ever heard.

"Thanks, Britt-Britt. I'll be right back, don't worry." Less than a minute later Santana returned and plopped back down on the couch, a box decorated with various pictures and magazine cut-outs in her hand.

"Oh my god." Brittany beamed as she eyed the little box in Santana's lap. "I haven't seen that in years!" Santana giggled as she opened it up.

"I know right? I don't think anyone's ever seen this apart from you." She told her, making Brittany smile. She rifled through various photographs, valentine cards she'd gotten and been extremely proud of when she was younger, a few old cinema tickets, until she found the crumpled up list. "Here it is!" She said, lifting up the worn piece of paper and unfolding it. "We must have been what, like 9 when we wrote these?" Santana asked, getting a nod in confirmation from Brittany.

"What's on it?" The blonde asked her excitedly. Santana smiled as she scanned over the list of things they wanted to do before they grew up, looking at the various things scribbled out or added to it over the years.

"Number 1." Santana began. She would have felt slightly embarrassed about reading this out had it been anyone else, but seeing the gentle, loving look in those blue eyes watching her so intently, she couldn't care less. "Build an awesome tree fort." They both laughed as she read the first item on the list. "Well, we did that." Santana said, remembering the tree-house Brittany's dad had helped them build in her back yard.

"And it was definitely awesome." Brittany added with a grin. "What's next?"

"Camp out under the stars." She read with a soft smile.

"We did that one too." Brittany remarked, her smile growing wider as well.

"Well, we did the campfire and marshmallows part, but I don't think it counts if we had to sleep in the living room 'cause we were too afraid to sleep outside." Santana said with a grin, making Brittany giggle. She read the next few on the list, smiling as she remembered writing each and every one all those years ago. "Stay up to watch the sun rise… Visit Europe… See the Grand Canyon… Become a famous singer…" Some were extremely ambitious, such as 'Climb Mount Everest', while others where very cute and made both girls smile, like 'Fall in love'.

"I did that one." Santana said with a shy smile as she looked up to meet blue eyes, even more beautiful than usual as they glistened under the candlelight.

"Yes you did." Brittany replied with a large grin as she leant in and kissed Santana deeply. "I can cross it off my list too." She added as she pulled away and linked her fingers through Santana's. The thunder and lightning seemed to have died down for the moment, so Santana was glad to see Brittany looking more relaxed.

"What else was on yours?" The Latina asked curiously, returning the piece of paper to the box and setting it down on the coffee table. Brittany took a sip of wine as she thought for a second before answering.

"Um… Take an awesome road trip…" She began, a small smile playing on her lips which Santana immediately returned. "Have the perfect picnic… Find a four-leaf clover… Go on a date..." She continued with a bashful smile as she remembered what she'd written so long ago. "Go to a real life baseball game… Swim with dolphins… uh, what else? Learn another language… Oh and the best one!-" A mischievous grin appeared on Brittany's face as she leapt up from the sofa and stretched out her hand for Santana to take. The Latina gave her a confused sort of smile but took her hand nonetheless.

"Where are we going?" Santana asked around a grin as Brittany led them across the room. When Brittany went to grab the handle to the fire escape door, Santana stopped in her tracks and tugged on Brittany's other hand.

"_Hell_ no. It's chucking it down out there, Britt." Santana said, shaking her head as she eyed the still torrential rain outside. Brittany simply pouted that adorable freaking pout of hers that would surely be the death of Santana someday. "No, Britt. It's cold." _Oh god, now the puppy-dog eyes._ "We'll get soaked. And it's so warm and dry in here."

"Please, Santana?" Brittany whined, giving her that look again. Santana should have known by now that she could never say no to this girl, and found herself rolling her eyes and smiling despite her best efforts. Brittany clapped excitedly and opened up the door, pulling them out onto the tiny balcony.

"Holy shit!" Santana gasped as she felt the cold rain suddenly hit her skin. "It's f-fucking freezing out h-here." She said through chattering teeth as Brittany closed the door behind them.

"It's kinda amazing though." Brittany reasoned with a grin, snaking her arms around Santana's waist and pulling her closer. Santana smiled and allowed herself to be wrapped up in Brittany's embrace. She looked up at the girl in front of her, large blobs of rain soaking her hair and running down her face, and couldn't help but laugh. "What?!" Brittany asked around a grin, raising her voice a little to be heard above the pounding rain.

"You're crazy!" Santana shouted, still grinning hard as she lifted her hand to wipe away some of the raindrops falling over Brittany's cheeks. She watched as Brittany's smile grew even wider and felt the arms around her waist pull her even tighter against her body.

"I know!" Brittany replied with a grin. Santana watched as the blonde let her eyes fall closed and tilted her head up to the sky, letting the rain fall directly onto her face. Santana just stared up at her, a probably ridiculous, goofy smile on her lips as she watched the girl that she loved, and how completely mesmerizing, if not totally insane, she was.

"I am so, totally and completely in love with you, Brittany S. Pierce. You know that?!" Santana asked as Brittany opened her eyes and looked down at her, possibly the most genuine and gorgeous smile Santana had ever seen stretching across her face. Without warning, Brittany pulled her closer and crashed their lips together in a searing kiss. Santana no longer cared that it was pouring with rain and that both of them were getting absolutely soaked, because right now, this moment, it was just completely perfect. Brittany's previous concerns and fears about the storm also seemed to have totally disappeared as she lifted her hands to cup Santana's wet cheeks, deepening their kiss. When they eventually broke apart, both girls were shivering from the cold, but neither cared as they grinned stupidly back at each other.

"Number 13." Brittany said, brushing her fingers over Santana's cheeks and still smiling hard.

"What?" Santana asked, staring up at her girlfriend, a confused sort or smile on her lips, but one filled with so much affection.

"On my list. 'Kiss someone in the pouring rain'. Number 13." Brittany explained around her grin, watching Santana's smile grow wider in response. "And I am completely and utterly, head over heels in love with you too, Santana Lopez." She told her, leaning down and pressing another, softer kiss to the Latina's lips. "Just so you know." She added, making Santana giggle. "Now let's get back inside before one of us gets hypothermia." They both laughed as they pushed open the door and hurried back inside.

"That was totally insane." Santana announced, still grinning as she ran a hand through her soaked hair.

"Yeah. M-maybe that wasn't one of my b-best ideas." Brittany said, smiling through her chattering teeth as she turned to face Santana, who was also shivering slightly. Santana simply smiled and took Brittany's hands in her own affectionately.

"Although it was completely crazy, it was also beyond romantic, Britt-Britt. Now let's change into some dry clothes okay?" Brittany grinned and nodded, allowing Santana to lead her to her room. Santana tugged off her onesie and pulled on some sweatpants and a jumper and chucked Brittany some sweats too. Still shivering a little, but slightly warmer, both girls returned to the living room and plopped back down on the sofa. Santana snuggled herself into Brittany's side and breathed out a happy sigh, watching the candles flicker in the darkened room. When another flash of lightning lit up the apartment, Santana felt Brittany's body tense again against her own.

"How is it that you are completely fine with dragging me out into torrential rain, but you're scared of it when you're in here all warm and dry?" Santana asked around an amused chuckle as she rubbed her hand up and down Brittany's arm, making her warm. Brittany laughed softly and Santana felt her shrug against her.

"I don't know, I mean… It's kind of amazing and beautiful when you're out there in it, but it somehow seems… scarier from in here. I don't know if that makes any sense." Santana smiled, before shuffling herself so that she was lying down, pulling Brittany down next to her and hugging her close. She grabbed the duvet and pulled it over them again.

"Well, you'll be safe in our little duvet fort okay?" Santana asked, smiling as Brittany nodded and nuzzled into her shoulder. "And let me know if I need to distract you." She added, wrapping her arms around Brittany's waist and pulling her flush against her.

"Mmm 'kay." Brittany muttered into the crook of her neck. Both girls fell into comfortable silence, enjoying being in each other's arms and listening to the sound of each other's breathing, still slightly heavy from their little escapade outside. A sudden gust of wind rattled through the windows, followed by another loud crack of thunder, causing Brittany to tense in Santana's arms and bury her face further into her shoulder. Santana couldn't help but smile at just how freaking adorable Brittany was right now as she stroked her hand soothingly through soft blonde hair. "Santana?" Brittany asked, her voice muffled against Santana's neck.

"Mmm?" She responded, still lazily combing her fingers through Brittany's hair as she placed a delicate kiss to her temple. Another long rumble of thunder shook through the apartment and Brittany gripped her tighter.

"I think I'm gonna need you to distract me now." She told her in a quiet voice, making Santana chuckle lightly.

"Okay, baby." She cooed softly. "How do you want me to distract you?"

"Don't mind. Just… please?" Brittany asked as lightning once again lit up the room. Santana nodded and pulled the duvet up further over them, before leaning down and kissing Brittany softly.

"Like this?" She asked in a slightly playful tone as she kissed Brittany again. The blonde simply hummed in response and Santana could feel her smile against her lips. Another loud rumble of thunder caused Brittany to tense again and break away from their kiss to snuggle into her shoulder. Santana smiled affectionately and leaned down to press her lips to Brittany's neck. "How about this?" She asked, her voice a little lower now as she sucked gently on her girlfriend's neck. She felt Brittany tense again, but this time for a different reason as she began placing open-mouthed kisses under Brittany's jaw line. When another flash of lightning illuminated the room, Santana swallowed Brittany's frightened gasp with her lips as she moved back to kiss her deeply. She heard a little hum escape Brittany's lips as their tongues met and began moving together and Santana could feel that warm sensation appear in the pit of her stomach. She shivered when Brittany sucked gently on her bottom lip, though this time she was anything but cold.

As she did her best to distract Brittany from the low growls of thunder with the slow movements of her tongue, Santana could hear Brittany's breathing becoming shallower. Slowly, she moved her hand down between their bodies and dipped her fingertips under the sweatshirt Brittany was wearing. She heard Brittany gasp a little when her hand came into contact with the bare skin of her stomach and smiled as she continued kissing her slowly. She pressed her palm flat against Brittany's skin and teasingly slid it upwards until Brittany gasped again when she reached the swell of her breast, not covered by a bra. She cupped it gently before brushing her thumb over Brittany's nipple, already stiff from the cold. Brittany broke away from her lips to let out a shaky breath, before burying her face in Santana's neck as she pinched the hardened nipple between her fingers.

Brittany began letting out soft whimpers into the crook of Santana's neck as she continued to stroke and pinch Brittany's nipple. Santana smiled, realising that Brittany seemed to have completely forgotten about the storm outside as the blonde began gently rolling her hips forward. She heard Brittany's breathing get even heavier when she slid her hand slowly back down her stomach, feeling her abs quivering under her touch. She flattened her palm and slowly pushed past the waistband of her sweats, feeling Brittany's whole body tense again. Santana placed a soft kiss to Brittany's cheek, before sliding her hand further down and slowly using two fingers to part Brittany's folds. A soft moan escaped the Latina's lips when she felt just how wet Brittany was. Brittany continued to whimper quietly into her neck, her teeth now lightly pressing down on the skin there, as Santana ran her fingers through the length of her folds, dipping ever so slightly into her entrance before sliding them back up to her sensitive spot. Brittany gasped quietly and squirmed a little next to her when she began slowly circling that same spot.

"Mhm yes…" Brittany breathed quietly into Santana's shoulder as she continued to work her fingers over her clit, circling it and pressing down, eliciting beautiful little moans each time she did so. "Don't stop." Brittany told her breathlessly. Santana smiled and pressed another kiss to her cheek as she slightly sped up the movements of her fingers. She could hear Brittany's breaths coming out in short, fast spurts and knew she was close as she watched her squirming under her touch and her hips rolling into her. Suddenly she felt Brittany begin to tremble beside her and her teeth bite down harder on her shoulder. She continued to rub at her clit as Brittany's whole body tensed and her thighs squeezed together to hold her hand in place. Brittany gasped and gripped Santana's shoulder hard, her fingers still circling that sensitive spot until she felt that familiar warm liquid coat them. Santana continued to rub through her folds slowly, bringing her down, before Brittany let out a shaky breath and her body relaxed against her. She withdrew her fingers and pressed another kiss to Brittany's flushed cheek.

"Wow." Brittany breathed with a lazy smile as she leant up to kiss Santana's lips softly.

"Yeah." Santana replied around an equally stupid grin as she combed her fingers through Brittany's hair.

"That was a great distraction." The blonde told her with a cheeky smile as she stroked a finger lazily over Santana's collarbone.

"Mhm…" Santana hummed in response, feeling totally relaxed and content in this moment. "Best blackout ever." She whispered, leaning in and kissing Brittany again who smiled against her lips.

"Totally."

**…**


	24. Thanksgiving

Hey lovelies :)

Sorry about the wait - got exams coming up, so busy busy here. Hope you enjoy this one. Quite a lot going on but lots of cuteness for you guys!

Thanks to Alabama for all her help and words of wisdom as usual 3

Chapter 24:

**...**

"I still don't get why I'm the one stuck doing the grocery shopping." Santana complained with a huff as she threw a bag of carrots into the cart. It was the day before Thanksgiving and Santana had been lumped with the unpleasant task of buying all the food they needed. Brittany giggled and poked her in the side.

"Maybe because you said Rachel wasn't allowed to do it since she'd go to that creepy vegan store and buy loads of weird stuff?" She told her with a knowing grin, making Santana smile and roll her eyes.

"Yeah but I didn't know that would mean _I'd _have to do it." She replied, trying her best to sound grumpy, but as usual failing miserably around the blonde. Brittany simply shook her head with a laugh and continued wheeling the trolley down the aisle.

"Well at least this way we can get all the stuff _we _want." Brittany reasoned with a grin as she grabbed some chocolate off the shelf.

"Britt, we've already got like ten different types of candy." The Latina said with an amused smile as she watched her girlfriend chuck two more packs of chocolate into the cart.

"Santana, you can never have too much chocolate." Brittany told her with a serious expression, making Santana chuckle.

"True. But Berry's gonna kill us if we don't get everything on this list." She said, scanning over the piece of paper in her hand. "I don't even know what half these things are." This had got to be the most Rachel Berry like list ever. It was written on pink paper, in disgustingly-perfect handwriting, and particular items had a gold star sticker next to them, marking them out as especially important. "What in the hell is _kale?"_ Brittany laughed and leaned over her to look at the list.

"Probably some weird vegetable." She replied with a shrug. "Are there peanut butter cups on there? We definitely need those." Brittany added, throwing some Reese's into the trolley as Santana chuckled. She ran her finger down the list, seeing what else they still needed.

"Like, seriously, does she think I've never been to a supermarket before?" Santana asked, noticing the message scrawled next to _frozen peas _which read _you can find these in the frozen vegetable section._

"Probably." Brittany responded with a giggle, causing Santana to stick out her tongue. "What? I've never once seen you do grocery shopping. I thought Rachel even made you guys some weird rota or something?" Santana smirked and grabbed the peas, chucking them into the trolley as they rounded the corner.

"Yeah I got Kurt to switch with me." Brittany quirked an intrigued eyebrow at her. "Let's just say I walked in on him reading some not-so-PG 13 magazines, and he said he'd do my chores if I promised not to tell anyone about it." Brittany snorted with laughter.

"But you just told me." Santana shrugged and grabbed a couple more things from the shelf.

"You're my girlfriend. I have to tell you everything." She told her with a grin, making Brittany chuckle. "Okay, now pick one." Santana added, holding up two different bottles of wine. Brittany stopped the trolley and looked at both bottles carefully, chewing on her bottom lip and scrunching her eyebrows up in thought. _Adorable._

"Well… I like pink. It's one of my favourite colours." She said, pointing to the bottle of rosé. Santana nodded and went to place it in the cart but Brittany stopped her. "Wait! The other one has a really funky name though." Santana shook her head and couldn't help but smile.

"You are probably the most adorable thing ever." Santana told her, leaning up on her tip-toes and placing a quick kiss to Brittany's lips. "But could you please pick one so we can gets the hell outta this place?" She added with a grin. Brittany kissed her back, before taking the rosé from Santana's hand and putting it in the trolley.

"Fine, but you're the one who took half an hour deciding which turkey to get." She replied, playfully shoving Santana on the shoulder.

"But none of them were big enough!" She defended, only making Brittany giggle in response. "Whatever." She mumbled with a bashful smile as she felt herself blush a little. "What's next?" Brittany took the list from her and ran her finger down the page.

"Vegan sausages." The blonde read out, scrunching her nose up in disgust and making Santana laugh. "I didn't even know they existed."

"I know right? I mean, if you don't want to eat meat, why in the hell eat something that's in the shape of meat?" She asked to a giggling Brittany as she scanned the shelf.

"Here we go!" Brittany announced, picking up a packet of sausages and showing Santana proudly.

"Those are normal pork sausages, Britt." She told her, continuing to look over the shelf for Rachel's freakish non-meat kind.

"I know." Brittany said with a wicked grin, to which Santana raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly are you suggesting, Miss Pierce?" Santana asked in a playful voice, turning to face her girlfriend.

"Oh nothing." She said with an innocent shrug as she turned over the packet in her hands. "All I'm saying is that if we just _happened _to get regular sausages, you know, by mistake… and forgot to tell Rachel, no one could really blame us. Plus, it would be super hilarious." She added with a smirk and Santana couldn't help but smile.

"You, Brittany S. Pierce, are a genius." She said, leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to her girlfriend's lips. Rolling her eyes at the wolf-whistle they received from a guy at the end of the aisle, Santana grabbed the sausages and threw them into the cart, grinning devilishly. "This is going to be so much fun." Brittany giggled and pushed the trolley along, jumping onto it and gliding down the aisle, followed by a laughing Santana.

**…**

"Berry, looks like the food added up to a bit more than we thought, so I'm gonna need you to pay me back." Santana called as she entered her apartment, slightly out of breath having just traipsed up five flights of stairs carrying four extremely heavy grocery bags. _Jesus, they needed to get that elevator fixed soon._ She dumped the bags on the island and glanced around for her roommate.

"She's at rehearsals." Kurt announced as he strode into the living room wearing a robe with a towel wrapped turban-style on his head. Santana nodded - apparently Broadway Stars don't get the day before Thanksgiving off like the rest of them did. "Did you get my cranberries?" Kurt asked, making his way over to the kitchen area and peering into one of the shopping bags.

"Yes, Lady Hummel, I got the cranberries for your precious cranberry sauce." Santana said with an eye-roll as her friend grinned happily. "Now help me unpack the rest of this stuff would you?" Santana asked as she pulled out the wine and popped it in the fridge.

"Christ, how much chocolate did you think we'd need, Santana?" Kurt asked her with an amused look as he began unpacking one of the bags.

"You can thank Britt-Britt for that." She answered with a smile. Kurt chuckled and shook his head.

"I'll hide it in the bottom cupboard. Rachel will murder you if she finds all this." He said with a grin as he bent down and placed the chocolate right at the back of the shelf. "Where is Brittany by the way?"

"Oh, she's gone back home to help Quinn with the pumpkin pie." She explained as she continued to empty the various bags. "I'm surprised Q's letting her anywhere near it. I've never once been allowed within three feet of the famous Fabray recipe." She joked, making Kurt chuckle lightly.

"So… How are things with you and The Ice Queen?" Kurt asked tentatively as he perched on one of the kitchen stools and adjusted his head towel. Santana shrugged, emptying the last bag before leaning against the counter.

"Okay." She said simply, but noticing Kurt's gaze still on her, she elaborated. "Better. I mean, things are still a bit weird, but we're slowly getting back to normal… I just wish she still didn't feel so awkward around us, you know?" Kurt nodded in understanding.

"I get that. I still don't see why she was such a drama queen about it, but she obviously has her reasons and knowing Quinn, she'll just need a bit of time to get used to the idea. She's never exactly been as… _fun loving_ as the rest of us. But once she sees how disgustingly adorable you and Brittany are together, I'm sure she'll come around." He said with a smile, making Santana laugh softly. "Speaking of, is everything with you and Brittany good?" Santana couldn't help the grin which stretched across her face at the mention of her girlfriend's name.

"Everything's great." She said, still smiling hard. "Amazing actually. I just… I can't even imagine my life without her now, you know?" Santana felt a little blush appearing on her cheeks and cleared her throat as she stood up and flicked the switch on the kettle to make some tea. "I'm uh… I'm going to her parents' house tomorrow actually." She told him, grabbing a couple of mugs from the cupboard.

"Wow. Big step." Kurt commented, raising his eyebrows and smiling. "Nervous about meeting the parents?"

"Kurt, please. I know her parents. I practically used to live at her house when we were younger." She scoffed, repeating the words Brittany had said to her the other day, with an air of indifference she definitely wasn't feeling inside. Truth be told, she was kind of nervous.

"Oh don't give me that, Satan." Kurt said, giving her a knowing look. "I know you, and I can tell when you're freaking out." Santana whipped her head round to look at him.

"I'm not freaking out." She defended, making her way back over to the island with their tea. Handing Kurt his mug, who was still looking at her doubtfully, she rolled her eyes and continued. "Okay, fine. I'm a little nervous." She admitted, ignoring the Kurt's smug expression. "But that's normal right? I mean, who could blame me? I'm going over there and seeing her parents who I haven't seen in years, meeting the rest of her family, including her _'cute'_ little cousins - and we all know how awful I am with kids –all the while trying to figure out how the hell I'm meant to be acting. Like, am I just meant to be acting like her best friend around her parents, or someone who's hopelessly and completely in love with their daughter? And what if they freak out about it? God, what if they hate me?" Santana let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She hadn't really expected all that to come out – hell, she hadn't even realised she was thinking it – and judging by the rather surprised look on Kurt's face, he wasn't either.

"Oookay…" He drew out, his eyes still a little widened by Santana's outburst. "Look. I know it's kind of nerve-wracking, but you'll be absolutely fine, Santana." The Latina nodded and took a deep breath. "You guys don't even have to tell them yet if you're not ready, but either way, Brittany loves you, and I'm sure her family will too." He squeezed her hand reassuringly over the island and she managed a small smile. "But maybe steer clear of the young children. Rachel's cousin is still scarred from when you told her the tooth fairy wasn't real." Santana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh come on, she was like twelve for Christ's sake. Who the hell still believes in the tooth fairy at that age?" She asked, only receiving a disapproving shake of the head from Kurt. "My abuela told me that Santa Claus wasn't real at the age of four." She added in an attempt to defend herself.

"Yes I know. And Quinn still tells the horrifying story of how you told your entire kindergarten class and reduced them all to tears." Santana couldn't help but smirk at the memory, causing Kurt to shake his head again.

"_Anyway_," He continued, taking a sip of his tea. "Just be lovely and charming and polite when you meet her family and you'll be fine. You know, just fight all your normal instincts." He added with a smirk and Santana stuck her tongue out at him. _She was fine. She could do this. _After all, Brittany would be there with her, and the thought of that made all her nerves start to melt away.

**…**

_Thanksgiving._

"Okay, that is it!" Santana yelled, throwing her hands up with exasperation and turning to glare at Rachel who was poking the turkey sitting in the oven. "Berry, I'm gonna need you and your man hands to get the hell out of my kitchen!" Rachel ignored her and continued to poke at the turkey.

"All I'm saying Santana, is that I think if you'd have let it defrost for a little while longer, then it would be-"

"Berry, I swear to _God_, if you don't get out of my face _right _now, it's not gonna be the turkey whose ass I'm shoving this stuffing up!" She threatened to a now rather alarmed-looking Rachel.

"Santana, I'm just trying to help. There's really no need to- _Ahhh_!" Rachel screamed as Santana began striding towards her, a spatula held threateningly above her head. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" She shrieked, backing away from the fuming Latina and lifting her hands up in surrender. "I just- Brittany! Brittany, help!"

"What do you want _me _to do?" Brittany asked from her place sitting on the counter. She dipped her finger into one of the saucepans and brought it to her lips to taste. "Mmm, Santana this gravy's delicious." She told her girlfriend as she released her finger with a wet pop.

"Thanks, baby." Santana said with a sweet smile, before turning back and glaring at Rachel. "Now if you don't get your scrawny ass out of here in the next three seconds, I swear I'm gonna-" Rachel shrieked again and ran to the other side of the island as Santana raised the spatula above her head again.

"_Brittany!"_ Rachel yelled, desperately glancing to the blonde who wasn't really paying attention as she continued to dip her finger into the pan. "Control her!" Brittany finally looked up and glanced between the two brunettes, Santana glaring at Rachel who was cowering behind the island.

"Well, as Chief Supervisor," Brittany began with an air of importance. "Rachel, I think you should go back to the living room and leave the chef to cook."

"_What?!" _Rachel shrieked, turning to glare at a now very smug-looking Santana. "That's so not fair! I was just trying to-"

"Run along, Berry." Santana said, shooing her away with her spatula.

"Please can I stay?" Rachel whined, making Santana roll her eyes. "I won't say anything I promise. I just want to help, you won't even know I'm here." She pleaded, staring at the Latina with wide, hopeful eyes. Santana let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Brittany.

"Britt?" She said, giving her a look which said _Get her the hell outta here now._

"Oh, Rachel, I think I saw Quinn playing with the table centrepiece just now." The blonde said casually as she crunched down on a carrot. Rachel's eyes suddenly widened and her face clouded over with panic.

"No… No, no, no, no! Not my azaleas!" She screamed, practically sprinting out of the kitchen and over to where they'd set up a table in the living room. Santana and Brittany both laughed and high fived.

"Unbelievable." Santana breathed out through a chuckle as she shook her head and wandered back over to the stove. "Now if Berry hasn't done too much damage already, this bird should be done soon." She said, opening the oven door and peering in at the turkey.

"Yay!" Brittany squealed, clapping her hands in excitement. She jumped down off the counter and walked over to her girlfriend, sliding her arms around her waist from behind. "You look super adorable in that apron by the way." She said, causing Santana to smile bashfully and let out a soft chuckle.

"Really?" Santana asked in a playful voice as she felt Brittany place a delicate kiss to her shoulder.

"Mmh…" The blonde replied, moving her lips across Santana's jaw, before reaching her earlobe and nibbling gently. "You're really sexy when you cook." She whispered, making a shiver run down Santana's spine as she felt Brittany's breath ghost her cheek. _Fuck._ She twisted round in Brittany's arms and felt her stomach knot when she was met with hungry blue eyes. Santana caught her breath when Brittany leant in slowly to capture her lips in a deep kiss. She hummed at the sensation of their lips moulding together so perfectly, letting her hands trail down Brittany's sides and brush over her bare thighs. Brittany smiled against her lips and pulled her closer by the waist, flushing their bodies together and making Santana's skin heat up at the contact. They suddenly heard a loud hissing sound coming from the stove and broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Shit!" Santana yelled when she noticed the gravy boiling over and jumped to move the pan off the heat. She heard Brittany giggle behind her and turned around to shoot her a mock glare. "You are such a distraction." She told her grinning girlfriend as she playfully waggled the spatula at her. "Now come stir this while I get the vegetables out of the oven."

Ten minutes later, all the food was laid out on the table – looking fucking delicious if Santana said so herself – and everyone was seated, waiting to begin. Santana strode in from the kitchen, carrying a large plate with the enormous turkey on it. She grinned triumphantly when everyone applauded and rested it down in front of her place at the head of the table.

"Now _this, _my friends, is what you call a proper turkey." She announced, standing in front of it and admiring the enormous bird.

"At least we'll have plenty of leftovers." Kurt said sarcastically from his place next to her, earning himself a glare from his roommate.

"Leftovers are the best part!" Brittany chirped from her seat on the other side of Santana, who smiled at her warmly. "Turkey sandwiches are awesome."

"Totally agree. Who's carving then?" Quinn asked from her seat on the other side of Brittany.

"Well, it would normally be the man of the house… but we seem to be lacking in that department." Santana joked, shooting a grin at Kurt and Blaine.

"Ha ha." Kurt deadpanned, sticking his tongue out at his roommate. "I think you should do the honours, Santana, seeing as you're the one who cooked this magnificent feast." Santana smiled and began carving up the turkey for everyone – everyone except Rachel of course, to whom she handed a couple of _'vegetarian'_ sausages, trying desperately to keep a straight face when Brittany giggled.

After pouring everyone wine and sitting herself down, Santana leant back in her chair and smiled. She couldn't help but feel completely happy right now. Sure, cooking almost an entire Thanksgiving dinner herself had proved to be a tiny bit stressful, and control-freak Berry definitely hadn't helped matters, but looking around the table now, they were all here; her little New York family were all still together, more than two years after moving here, and most importantly she had her favourite person in the world sitting next to her. Santana took Brittany's hand, squeezing it over the table, and couldn't help but smile like an idiot at her. How she had got so lucky, she had no idea; that her best friend, the girl she had loved since she was five years old, was back here all these years later, holding her hand and grinning back at her with so much love and happiness in those bright blue eyes. She squeezed Brittany's hand once more before grabbing her fork and digging in. She had a large forkful of sweet potato halfway to her mouth when a shriek from Rachel at the other head of the table startled her.

"What?" Santana asked with a hint of irritation as her hand froze. She had slaved away all morning and she was _freaking_ starving.

"We have to go around the table and tell everyone what we're thankful for." Rachel announced as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Santana groaned and reluctantly returned her fork to her plate.

"But it smells so _good_!" Santana whined, receiving a cute little giggle from Brittany.

"I'll start!" Blaine announced, standing up from his chair. _God, was it really necessary to stand? _"Well. I am very thankful that all of you lovely people let me spend this holiday with you. It's really sweet of you guys to let me be a part of it." He said to a round of _aww's _from the table. "And of course I'm very thankful for my super cute boyfriend." He added with a wink at Kurt, who slapped Santana playfully when she made gagging noises.

"My turn!" Rachel squealed loudly, making everyone jump a little. She stood up and looked around the table with a sickeningly wide smile. _Here we go. _"I am extremely thankful to be here with all of you today. You are all my closest friends in the world, my… my family." Santana internally groaned when she heard Rachel choke up a little. "I just… I can't tell you guys how much you m-mean to me." She continued, sniffling a little and dabbing the corner of her eye with her sleeve. _Oh sweet Jesus._ "I-If someone had told me back in high school th-that I would be here, in New York, following my d-dreams with all of you… a-and especially San… Santana." She choked on Santana's name and turned to look at the Latina with glistening eyes. _Oh god. _Santana gave her an awkward smile and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, shooting Kurt a glare when he stifled a laugh. "You've become a great friend to me, Santana. A… a best friend, and I'm so thankful for you. And for all you guys." Santana breathed a sigh of relief when Rachel finally finished her over-dramatic speech and sat down, wiping a tear from her eye. Quinn gave Rachel a quick pat on the shoulder before standing up herself and clearing her throat.

"Okay, well I'm thankful for all of you as well." She said, glancing around and smiling at her friends. "And uh… I'm also thankful that you guys… that you guys let me come today, despite how awfully I've been acting recently." Santana glanced up to see Quinn looking at her with apologetic eyes. "I've been a bitch, and it means a lot that you guys are still talking to me, never mind letting me spend Thanksgiving with you." She said sincerely, her eyes locking with Santana's, who gave her a grateful smile. "Plus, I'm pretty thankful Santana hasn't slapped me again, because that hurt like hell." She joked, making the group laugh.

"I am a genius slapper." Santana said with a shrug to which everyone laughed again. "But thank you, Q. That means a lot." She added more seriously as the blonde sat down and smiled at her. "Britt-Britt, you're up." Brittany grinned and nodded, before standing up and chewing on her bottom lip in thought.

"Well… I'm super thankful you guys invited me. This is already the best Thanksgiving ever." She said in an adorable voice which made Santana smile at her affectionately. "And I'm really really thankful for all this food 'cause it looks all kinds of delicious… Um, what else? I'm thankful that Lord Tubbington finally agreed to go on that diet 'cause he was getting kinda chunky. Oh and I'm thankful for ice cream… and Reese's cups, and Oreos and…" Everyone giggled as Brittany continued her adorable little ramble. "And Santana's chocolate chip pancakes, and vanilla milkshakes and… and the best friends in the world." She added, beaming at the group around the table. "And for Santana – an awesome chef and the best girlfriend ever." She finished, sitting down and looking at Santana with a bashful smile. Santana felt her heart melt at Brittany's words, and didn't think twice about leaning over and kissing her. Rolling her eyes at the various cheers and whistles from her friends, Santana broke away, smiling at Brittany and mouthing _I love you._ She groaned when Rachel told her it was her turn and reluctantly stood up.

"This is super lame but whatever…" Santana muttered, fiddling with the tips of her fingers as she spoke. "Uh… I'm very thankful that Berry didn't set the turkey on fire this year." She began, receiving a mock glare from Rachel and sniggers from the others. "I'm also thankful that I'm such a badass in the kitchen 'cause I'm not gonna lie this food looks awesome. And I'm gonna make this quick 'cause I really wants to eat… so yeah, I'm thankful for all you guys." She said quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up a little as she looked down at her hands. "That you've all put up with me over the years and that we're all here, you know, having Thanksgiving together. And… And I'm thankful for you, Britt. I love you." She looked down at Brittany, who smiled and reached for her hand, kissing it before pulling her back into her seat.

"I love you too." She told her with a squeeze of her hand. Santana surprised herself by not giving a damn about the fact she'd just told her girlfriend she loved her and kissed her in front of all their friends. She was way too happy to care about anything else other than the way Brittany was looking at her right now.

"You two are so adorable." Blaine cooed as he eyed the couple. "And honey, it's your turn." He added, turning to Kurt who nodded and stood up.

"Well, _I _am thankful that everyone is here together on my favourite holiday. Most importantly though, I'm thankful that I've survived two whole years living under the same roof as these two," He motioned to Rachel and Santana at either ends of the table. "And that by some miracle they've managed not to kill each other yet." Everyone laughed as he sat down.

"Yet." Santana joked, playfully narrowing her eyes at Rachel who did the same, before they both broke into laughter.

"And of course I'm thankful for you, honey-bear." He said to Blaine before pecking him on the lips.

"Right, now that everyone's sufficiently poured their hearts out, do you think we could eat before I throw up from all this mushiness?" Santana asked, glancing around the group who all nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh my god, Santana!" Brittany practically groaned. "This is amazing!" Santana grinned triumphantly as she shovelled some turkey into her mouth. _God, it really was good._

"Yeah, the turkey's great, S." Quinn joined in. "And no charcoal in sight." She added with a smirk in Rachel's direction.

"Alright, alright." Rachel said, smiling and rolling her eyes. "But yes, you're right, the food's fantastic. God, and these sausages! They're incredible!" She added as she piled another forkful into her mouth. Santana stifled a laugh and felt Brittany's hand grip her thigh under the table. "I mean, you can barely even tell they're not meat! It really is amazing what people can do with tofu these days." Santana heard a muffled giggle escape Brittany's lips and had to cover her own mouth to stop from laughing. She was glad when Kurt spoke up and changed the subject, because she wasn't going to be able to hold it in any longer. _Berry was just way too easy._

"Sooo, what does everyone think of the cranberry sauce?" His question was met with a collection of groans and eye-rolls from Santana, Quinn and Rachel, who went through this every year.

"It's super delicious." Brittany said brightly, shovelling down her food at an alarming rate. "Though I never really got why you have cranberries with turkey… that's sort of a weird combo isn't it?" She turned to Santana, her eyebrows pinched together slightly in confusion. Santana laughed affectionately.

"You're right, it is. That's like… like having chicken with strawberries." Brittany giggled at Santana's remark and squeezed her thigh under the table. Santana felt her breath hitch a little at the contact. How in the hell one innocent touch from Brittany still did that to her, she had no idea, but her skin was now tingling deliciously from the way the blonde's fingers were still lingering on her bare thigh. Her cheeks heated up a little as she realised she was getting inappropriately flustered considering they were at dinner with their friends. She cursed the way Brittany was able to work her up so easily, but still couldn't help herself from looking up at her girlfriend and eyeing her hungrily. She deserved a medal or something for not jumping the girl as soon as she'd stepped through the door, because she looked fucking incredible. Her hair was partly clipped back and a little wavy in the way Santana loved, her bright blue dress made her eyes look even brighter, and it was showing off much more cleavage than usual. And Santana definitely wasn't complaining. Her eyes glued to those perfect breasts, Santana managed to completely miss her mouth with her fork and ended up dropping a piece of turkey on her lap. She couldn't tear her gaze away though, and was only pulled from her trance when she felt Brittany squeeze her thigh again. Santana lifted her eyes, only to immediately blush when she saw Brittany smirking at her.

"You really weren't kidding when you said you'd stare at my boobs all you wanted, huh?" Brittany whispered, leaning in a little closer to the blushing brunette. She smiled shyly and Brittany giggled. She was happily surprised however, when Brittany leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Unlike other times in the past when Santana had been caught checking out the blonde, she didn't have to avert her gaze and make sure no one was watching; she was her girlfriend, she was _allowed _to leer. Santana let her eyes flutter closed and smiled against the kiss. They broke apart and Santana tucked some blonde hair behind Brittany's ear before returning to her meal, her lips still curved up into a large grin.

An hour or so later, they had finished eating and had made their way over to the sofas. Everyone chatted lazily, sleepy from all the wine and way too much food, half-watching the Thanksgiving Day parade on the TV. Kurt and Blaine were curled up on one couch, Rachel and Quinn on the other, while Brittany sat on the floor against the sofa, her arms around Santana who was sitting comfortably between her legs.

"Hummel, how can you say that?" Santana asked, twisting to look up at Kurt with a dumfounded expression. "Marely and Me is like the most tragic film ever made. Those poor kids have to bury their freaking dog!" She felt Brittany nod in agreement against her shoulder and her arms squeeze tighter around her waist.

"I don't know. I've just never really found it that sad. Maybe it's because I don't have a dog." He said with a shrug.

"Maybe it's because you don't have a _soul_." Brittany quipped back, making Santana laugh as she took a sip of her wine.

"Yeah Hummel." Santana agreed. "Fine, what do you think is the saddest movie ever made then?" She asked, continuing their little game. Kurt tapped his finger on his chin as he thought for a second.

"Bambi." He decided on after a while.

"_Bambi_?" Santana repeated, scrunching up her nose. "You mean to tell me you didn't find it sad when Marley died, an actual, real-life dog, but you cried at a _cartoon?"_ She scoffed, making the others chuckle.

"Tell me you didn't cry when Bambi's mother got shot." Kurt challenged her, knocking back some of his wine.

"I can tell you with 100% certainty that I did not cry when the _cartoon_ mother of a _cartoon _dear got shot." Santana told him as she sipped on her wine triumphantly. "Berry, what's yours?"

"Titanic. No question." Rachel answered without hesitation, making everyone chuckle. "I can't make it through one verse of My Heart Will Go On without choking up."

"Predictable, but fair." Santana remarked with a nod. "Quinn?"

"My Sister's Keeper. That's horrible." She answered, shivering at the thought. "Blaine, what about you?"

"The Notebook." Everyone groaned and rolled their eyes. "What? It's so romantic! And the ending!"

"You are such a girl." Quinn told him with an amused grin. "Brittany? Saddest movie ever?" Brittany didn't answer for a second, and without looking at her, Santana could tell she was chewing on her bottom lip and scrunching up her eyebrows adorably as she thought about it.

"I don't know. I don't really watch sad films. They make me sad and I don't like being sad." She said in a cute voice and everyone giggled.

"Okay, how about scariest film ever then?" Quinn asked.

"The Ring. Definitely." Rachel said, taking a gulp of her wine.

"Really? I didn't find it that scary." Santana said with a shrug. She whipped her head around when she heard Rachel scoff loudly. "What? I didn't."

"Oh so that's why you had to sleep on my bedroom floor for two nights in a row after we watched it?" Rachel asked her with an amused grin, laughing when she saw the blush appear on Santana's cheeks.

"What? That wasn't- I didn't-" Santana stuttered, hearing Brittany giggling behind her.

"And why you practically jumped two feet in the air every time the phone rang?" Kurt added, eliciting another round of amused laughter from the group.

"Santana badass Lopez." Quinn joked as the others stifled giggles. Santana felt her cheeks heat up even more.

"Oh shut up." She mumbled, turning to bury her face in her girlfriend's neck, who giggled and hugged her arms tighter around the smaller girl.

"Well mine is Snakes on a Plane. I hate those animals. They're so creepy and slimy." Brittany said with a shudder.

"Ooh, what's it about?" Rachel asked from the sofa.

"It's about Horses, Berry. Horses on a boat." Santana told sarcastically, making everyone laugh.

"Well I'm sorry, I've never seen it." Rachel said, sticking her tongue out at Santana who returned the immature gesture. They all chatted some more, before they drifted into comfortable silence when they got too sleepy from the wine. Santana felt tired; she was exhausted from slaving away in the kitchen all morning and from the general excitement and buzz of Thanksgiving. Still wrapped in Brittany's arms, she stared mindlessly at the TV, watching the various floats go by in the parade and couldn't fight the tiny sting she felt to her stomach.

"Why are we even watching this?" Quinn asked sleepily after a while as she took another sip of wine and stared blankly at the TV. Santana couldn't help but think the same.

"Quinn, you _have _to watch the parade on Thanksgiving. It's a tradition." Rachel told her, her eyes glued to the television and smiling brightly. "Oh look, it's so pretty!"

"It's kind of lame." Santana mumbled, taking a gulp of her rosé.

"You don't like the parade?" Brittany asked her, nuzzling her nose into Santana's neck and placing a soft kiss there. The Latina simply shrugged as she looked down at her glass. Truth be told, she didn't really like the parade, not anymore at least. It had always been something that she and her dad used to watch together. She remembered she and him being curled up on the sofa as her mum cleared away the dishes, watching all the bright colours and shapes go past on the television, while her dad would point out what each balloon or float was. Thinking about it didn't make her _upset_ specifically, but it was enough to slightly dull the bright mood she'd been in at dinner. It was enough to make her feel a weight on her shoulders that had felt so light recently, and enough to make her take another large gulp of wine. She felt Brittany's arms squeeze a little tighter round her waist and she let out a small sigh, allowing herself to sink into the girl's embrace and let it sooth her like it always did. She hated that she had lost her dad, and she hated that he would probably never come back. But what she realised as she felt Brittany's lips press softly against her shoulder, was that _she_ _had _come back; Brittany had come back and Santana never wanted to let her go again. She _couldn't_.

"Are you okay, baby?" Brittany whispered, nuzzling her nose into Santana's neck and hugging the smaller girl tighter. Santana just hummed quietly in response, letting her eyes fall closed as the girl that she loved held her tight in her arms. "Hey, come with me." Brittany wriggled herself out from behind the Latina and stood up, extending her hand out to her. "We're just going to the bathroom." She told the others as Santana stood up and took her hand, allowing her girlfriend to lead her out of the room. Brittany took her into the bathroom and shut the door behind them. She immediately stepped forward and slid her arms around Santana's waist, smiling softly and looking at her with concerned blue eyes. "Is everything okay?" Santana looked down at the floor and nodded, not entirely sure why her mood had deflated. Brittany lifted one of her hands to Santana's cheek, brushing it gently and lifting the girl's gaze from the floor. "Honey, it's me. What's wrong?" Santana looked into those blue eyes and let out a little breath.

"I don't know." She said quietly, almost a whisper. She really didn't, it was just... "I- I don't want to lose you." She breathed shakily, not even realising she'd been thinking those words. She watched as blue eyes softened and melted her like always.

"Baby, you could never lose me." Brittany told her, her voice full of truth and warmth, as she slid her arms from Santana's waist and took her hands in her own, intertwining their fingers.

"I know, it's just…" Santana dropped her gaze back to the floor and let out another shaky breath.

"Hey, look at me." Brittany said softly, gently squeezing her fingers and encouraging brown eyes to meet blue ones again. "Where's this coming from?" Santana breathed deeply and her lips parted and closed again, trying to find the words that would explain how she was feeling.

"I just… the parade… my dad…" Santana couldn't seem to form proper sentences, letting out a huff of frustration at the single words which seemed to be the only things capable of coming out of her mouth. Brittany furrowed her eyebrows slightly, her eyes flickering between Santana's as she tried to understand what the girl was trying to say. "I don't… I don't want to lose you like I lost my dad," Santana admitted quietly. "And- and I guess I'm just a little freaked about… about your parents. Everything's so perfect with us at the moment and I just don't want anything to ruin that." She let out a long breath and looked up shyly at Brittany, who smiled warmly and squeezed her hands in her own.

"Santana, you're not going to lose me." She said with a firm voice, yet one that was still so soft and caring. "Mummy and Daddy will be fine. Besides, tonight isn't about that – we don't even have to tell them, okay? They just miss you, and would love to see you. And I only want you to come with me because I couldn't stand the thought of being away from you, even for one night, okay?" Brittany said with a large grin which made Santana smile. She always knew exactly what to say, exactly the right words which would make her heart flutter and her insides melt, and all the weight and worry disappear from her shoulders. She leaned up and kissed Brittany softly, brushing her lips over the blonde's and feeling her melt against her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, breaking the contact and looking up into those blue eyes. "I'm sorry I freaked out a little, I just… this is so perfect." She admitted, brushing her thumbs over Brittany's knuckles and making the girl smile softly. "And _you're_ so perfect, and I… I hate the thought of anything taking you away." Brittany lifted Santana's hand and pressed her lips against her palm, watching as plump lips curved up into a small smile.

"I'm not going anywhere, Santana." She told her, that intense blue gaze, which still sent shivers down Santana's spine, piercing her. "You're stuck with me I'm afraid. Even if you get sick of me." She added with a grin.

"Not possible." Santana replied, stepping forward and sliding her arms around Brittany's waist, pulling the taller girl closer. "You make me so, unbelievably happy. I don't even know how you do it." She said with a warm smile as Brittany's hands went to her cheeks, her thumbs brushing over them softly.

"The only thing I want is to make you happy, Santana." Brittany told her truthfully, cupping her cheeks and kissing her again. "Plus superpowers. That would be awesome." She added, making Santana chuckle.

"That would be awesome." Santana agreed, smiling as Brittany's grin grew wider.

"I love you." Brittany told her.

"I love you too. And I know I don't say it enough, but… I feel like if I said it every time I felt it, I'd never have any time to say anything else, you know?" Santana admitted with a bashful smile, watching the grin grow on Brittany's perfect lips.

"I know exactly what you mean." The blonde said around her smile, kissing Santana again before squeezing her hands. "Now let's get back to the others. We have to leave in a bit, if you still want to come?" She questioned, blue eyes searching Santana's own.

"Of course, baby." Santana replied truthfully. "It'll be fun, and I love that you invited me." She smiled, opened the door and led them back into the living room. They both chuckled when they saw Kurt had fallen asleep on Blaine's shoulder, and Quinn desperately trying to stay awake as Rachel banged on and on about how beautiful the parade was.

**…**

After a half an hour drive just outside of the city, Brittany pulled into a long drive and Santana couldn't stop her eyes from widening at the sight in front of her.

_Holy shit._

"This is your house?" Santana asked, her gaze drawing over the beautiful, large white house in front of her. Brittany giggled as she pulled over and shut off the ignition.

"Yup." She replied, looking over to her girlfriend whose mouth was slightly agape.

"It's _huge." _Brittany giggled again and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess." She said casually, making Santana turn to her with a dumfounded look.

"Britt, it's practically a freaking mansion." Brittany rolled her eyes, a bashful smile at her lips as she tucked some stray hair behind her ear.

"It's not that big, Santana." She told her, blushing slightly as she turned to Santana and smiled. "You ready?" Santana took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"Y-yeah." After her conversation with Brittany, she was feeling a lot less panicked, but she still couldn't help the nerves that were tingling through her. They had decided to play it cool while she was there and not tell her parents about them just yet. Brittany had told her that everyone was just excited to see her and not to worry about everything else yet, just to enjoy the next couple of days. Santana would stay that night and for the barbeque tomorrow, then head back home while Brittany would stay another night to spend some more time with her family. Although it made Santana feel a little more relaxed that she wouldn't have to deal with the potential awkwardness of telling Brittany's parents just yet, looking up at the huge house in front of her, she couldn't help but feel slightly anxious. She wanted to make a good impression, she wanted everyone to like her, and she wanted her heart to stop beating so freaking fast. _Why was it beating so fast?_ And why in the hell had she chosen such a short dress to wear? She tugged anxiously at the material, trying to get it to a semi-appropriate length and glanced in the rear-view mirror as she ran a hand through her hair. Brittany seemed to sense her nervousness because she took Santana's hand, stilling it's movements, and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

"Sweetie, it's going to be fine." She told her with a reassuring smile. "It's just my parents here tonight. There'll be food, and wine… and my dad will probably force us to play charades or something." She added, smiling when she saw Santana's lips curve upwards a little.

"Okay, let's do this." Santana said with a determined nod, reaching for the door handle and stepping out onto the gravel drive. Brittany met her round the front of the car and led her up the front steps, before pushing open the door and stepping into a rather grand hallway.

"Mom, dad, I'm home!" Brittany called as a rather star-struck Santana followed behind her. _Okay, this house was freaking insane_. Large paintings hung on the high walls, an ornate rug lay on the white marble floors and a large staircase lead up to a grand balcony overlooking the hall. _Holy shit._

"Hi, honey!" Santana heard a woman's voice call as her mum came bounding into the room, holding a glass of wine. Brittany squealed and ran over to her, engulfing her in a large hug, while Santana stood back, fidgeting with the hem of her dress again and hoping to god her hair looked respectable.

_Okay, get your shit together, Lopez. You can do this._

Sure, she'd never actually done the whole 'meet the parents' thing before, but this was Brittany, and Brittany's parents, who she knew, and who knew her. _This wasn't scary_.

"Santana!" Her mother exclaimed as she noticed the Latina hovering by the door. "Get over here, sweetie!" Santana smiled and felt herself relax a little when the woman pulled her into a tight hug. "Gosh, look at you!" Mrs Pierce said, pulling away and taking in the girl in front of her. "You look wonderful, dear! And so grown up!" Santana felt herself blush a little and smiled at the compliment.

"Thanks, Mrs Pierce. It's great to see you." She said warmly, feeling a lot less nervous than she did a few minutes ago.

"Oh, none of that. It's Jennifer." The woman said with a large smile and a wave of her hand. Santana caught Brittany grinning at her from behind her mother and returned the smile, before Mrs Pierce led them both through to a large drawing room. "Now, come in here and make yourselves comfortable. I'll go and fetch Richard. He's dying to see the both of you." She said as she rushed into another room, leaving Santana and Brittany together in the drawing room. Santana was never really sure what you were supposed to do when someone says '_make yourself comfortable', _so she took the time to take in the grand room they were now in. Two, very expensive-looking sofas were arranged in front of a large fireplace. Various paintings and family photographs hung on the cream walls, and a large dining table stood at the far end.

She was pulled from her trance by a giggling Brittany, who had sat down on one of the couches, and patted the place next to her, gesturing for Santana to join her.

"You okay?" Brittany asked her with a soft smile as Santana sat down next to her.

"Yeah. Your house is beautiful, Britt." Santana replied, her eyes still a little wide as they continued to scan the room. "And your mum hasn't changed at all!" She added with a grin. Mrs Pierce basically looked like an older version of Brittany, the same blonde hair but cut a little shorter, and those same piercing eyes, although slightly greyer than Brittany's bright blue ones. Soon Mrs Pierce returned, two glasses of wine in her hands which she handed to the girls as Brittany's dad entered the room behind her.

"Daddy!" Brittany squealed excitedly, jumping up and rushing over to her father.

"Hello, munchkin." The shorter, slightly balding man greeted her with a tight hug. "Santana, it's so great to see you again, kiddo. It's been a while." He addressed the Latina with a bright smile, extending his hand for her to shake. Santana stood up from the couch and shook his hand, giving him her warmest smile.

"You too, Mr. Pierce. Thank you so much for having me." Brittany's dad shook his head and gestured for them to sit again as he and his wife did the same on the couch next to them.

"Not at all, not at all. So how have you been, Santana? I hear you're at NYADA with my baby girl." He said with a smile in his daughter's direction.

"That's right. I've been good thank you. Great, actually." Santana said, turning to her girlfriend and smiling.

"Well it's so lovely to see you after all this time." Mrs Pierce chimed in as she took a sip of wine. "And to see my baby so happy again. I'm sure you've been a big part of that." She added and Santana couldn't help but smile harder when she saw the faint blush appear on Brittany's cheeks.

"Britts here couldn't stop going on about you when you two finally reconnected again." Her dad chipped in, making Brittany blush harder.

"He's exaggerating." Brittany told her with a roll of her eyes and a bashful smile, which made Santana chuckle.

"Hardly." Her mum said with a laugh. "She kept telling us how excited she was to have her best friend back again. It was rather adorable." She told Santana, who smiled hard.

"Well, I was just as excited to have her back too." Santana said genuinely, looking over to Brittany who grinned.

"Well we're very glad." Mrs Pierce announced as she took a gulp of wine. "And not all that surprised really. You two were always inseparable when you were little, and we knew it was only a matter of time before you ran into each other now that you were back in the same place." Santana couldn't help but let those words strike her hard. It _was _only a matter of time. She was sure, even if Brittany had never moved in with Quinn, that they would have found their way back to each other somehow. "Poor Brittany must have cried for weeks when we first moved out here."

"Not _weeks._" Brittany mumbled with another bashful smile, which made Santana's heart melt. She went to take Brittany's hand in hers, but thought better of it as she glanced over to her parents. Instead, she squeezed her girlfriend's shoulder and smiled warmly at her.

"Me too, Britt-Britt. Don't worry." She told her with a grin, making Brittany giggle.

"I never understood how you two didn't get tired of each other." Mr. Pierce said with a chuckle as he watched the girls. "You spent almost every waking minute with each other back in the day. We wouldn't be able to find you for hours while you were off on one of your little adventures_._" Both girls grinned and chuckled at the memory. Santana had to admit, however nervous she'd been before, it felt kind of nice to be taking a trip down memory lane like this.

"Oh, I was so sorry to hear about your father, dear." _And way to speak too soon._ Santana felt a knot appear in her stomach when the words left Mrs. Pierce's mouth, but she did her best not to show how they had affected her.

"Mum!" Brittany hissed, shooting a glare at her mother, who lifted her hands up in defence.

"What? The Fabrays told me, honey. I'm sure Santana doesn't mind." She said, smiling at Santana.

"Y-yeah, it's fine." Santana replied with her best attempt at a smile, taking a sip of her wine. She felt Brittany squeeze her arm and she turned to her girlfriend, who mouthed _sorry _with apologetic blue eyes. Santana shook her head and curved her lips into a smile which told her not to worry about it.

"I just can't imagine how hard it must have been on your poor mother." Jennifer continued, clearly not getting the hint from Brittany's glaring eyes. "How is she, dear?"

"She's… yeah, she's good." Santana replied, doing her best to sound light and cheerful. "I'll be going back to see her at Christmas actually." She added in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, wonderful. We'll be headed back to Lima as well to stay with Britts' grandparents. Won't we sweetie?" Brittany nodded as she took a sip of her wine.

"So how is NYADA, Santana? Britts seems to really love it." Brittany's dad said, addressing the Latina again.

"It's great. I've got a few finals next week, then we're done for the semester." She told them. "I'm sort of doing a bit of everything right now, but I'll be choosing a major soon. But yeah, NYADA's awesome." Brittany's dad smiled at her warmly and nodded.

"I'm sure it is." Her mum said, taking a sip of wine, and Santana could hear a slight sharpness to her tone. "We have to admit we were slightly disappointed when Brittany dropped out of Julliard though." She added, looking to Brittany, whose lips were pursed together and a slight frown was crinkling her forehead.

"Jenny, not now." Her father chided, patting Mrs. Pierce's leg. "We've been through this. The course just wasn't right for her, was it sweetie?" He added, shooting a comforting smile at his daughter. This time, Santana frowned a little, and she looked to Brittany, who was blushing slightly. _Why hadn't Brittany told her parents why she actually left Julliard?_

"Mum, I think I'm gonna show Santana the house." Brittany announced suddenly, standing up and looking over to her parents. "Is that cool?"

"Of course, honey. Santana can stay in your room, or I can make up the spare bed if you like?" Brittany shook her head as she reached for Santana's hand and pulled her up from the sofa.

"No, that's okay. My room's fine." She said with a small smile in Santana's direction, before resting their glasses down and leading her back out into the hall. After grabbing their stuff from the car, Brittany took Santana on the grand tour of the house, showing her the large kitchen and various other rooms downstairs. Santana wanted to ask her about what had just happened, but Brittany didn't seem to want to talk about it, so she decided she would wait until she was ready. "So that's my parents' room." Brittany said as they reached the top of the stairs and pointed down the corridor to their left. "There's some bathrooms and stuff too. I never really go down there though. My room's this way." The blonde took Santana down another corridor off to the right and led her to the door at the end, which had adorable brightly-coloured letters spelling out _Brittany S. Pierce's Room._ Santana smiled at the touch that was so Brittany, as her girlfriend opened the door and led her inside. She grinned as her eyes took in the bright yellow walls, almost entirely covered in photographs, her desk that was scattered with picture frames and other little nick-nacks, and her single bed with at least a hundred cuddly-toys strewn across it. Santana dropped her bag on a chair and eyed the mattress set up on the floor next to Brittany's bed.

"So this is where I'll be sleeping, huh?" Santana asked with a smirk in her girlfriend's direction.

"No, silly. You can share my bed." She replied with a smile and a roll of her eyes. "My mum just sets that up when I have friends over." Santana nodded and walked over to her desk, bending down to have a look at the various photos which were arranged in different frames across the surface. She smiled as she saw ones of Brittany and her parents at the beach, one of her at Disney Land, a couple at what looked like Christmas and New Year. She caught her breath a little and felt her lips lift up into a smile when she picked up a particular pink frame, holding a photo she recognised instantly.

"Britt…" Santana breathed softly as she let her eyes roam over the picture of the two of them sitting with their backs to the camera, looking out over the lake back in Lima. They couldn't have been more than eight or nine when the photo was taken, but she could almost feel herself back there right in that moment, Brittany's arm draped around her waist as Santana let her head rest on the taller girl's shoulder, the sunset in front of them giving the whole picture a beautiful, orange sort of glow. Santana couldn't help but think, even back then, that they fit together so perfectly. What no one else could see in this picture, were their hands clasped tightly in each other's on Brittany's lap, the enormous smile on Brittany's lightly freckled face, or Santana's eyes which were closed as she let herself sink into her best friend's embrace. She and Brittany were the only ones who knew about those little details, not even Quinn who had taken the picture, and that made Santana smile. She was pulled back to the present when she felt Brittany's arms slide around her waist from behind. "I can't believe you have this." Santana said softly, placing a hand on Brittany's that was resting on her stomach.

"It's my favourite." Brittany told her in that adorable voice she loved so much.

"Mine too." She whispered back as Brittany's lips pressed lightly on her shoulder. "Do you have any more?" Santana felt the blonde smile against her skin, before removing her arms from around her waist and opening the top drawer of her desk. Santana watched, a smile tugging at her lips, as her girlfriend pulled out a little photo album, obviously decorated herself with glitter and coloured paper. Brittany moved to the side of the desk and opened a little sliding door that Santana hadn't noticed before.

"Remember that balcony I told you about?" Brittany asked her, motioning for the brunette to follow her. Santana smiled and nodded, taking Brittany's hand and letting her lead her out onto a small balcony overlooking the large garden and a pool with a patio area surrounding it.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Santana breathed, looking out at the view of the city in the distance.

"Yeah, this is kind of my safe place." Brittany told her as they sat down on the two deck chairs which Brittany had pushed together. "You should see it at night, it's beautiful." Brittany opened the little photo album resting in her lap and Santana couldn't help but smile as she began flicking through the pages of photographs from their childhood. They sat there, smiling and giggling, pointing out various photos of the two of them, some of which she remembered perfectly, others she'd completely forgotten about. They both laughed at a particular picture of the both of them, no older than five or six, at their dance class. Brittany was smiling sweetly, her hands clasped behind her back as she posed perfectly for the photo her mother was taking, while the small, dark girl next to her was looking extremely annoyed, her eyebrows furrowed together and her lips pushed out into an adorable pout as she refused to look at the camera.

"I hated that pink tutu I was forced to wear." Santana remembered with a chuckle. She smiled when she glanced at the next photo, which couldn't have been taken any more than a couple of minutes later. It showed Brittany holding Santana's hand above her head, twirling her friend round in a pirouette and smiling as the brunette laughed hysterically. It was funny, she always knew how to cheer her up, even back then.

"It looked super cute on you though." Brittany told her with a grin as she continued to turn over the pages, making Santana blush a little. "Oh god. It definitely wasn't as bad as that jumper I had to wear." Brittany added as her eyes widened at a photo of them from around Christmas one year. Santana giggled as she eyed the little pouting blonde in the picture, her arms folded across her chest, clearly not happy about the way too big for her, god-awful reindeer jumper her Grandmother had knitted her as a present.

"We were so cute." Santana said, smiling as they continued to flick through the pages and pages of photographs.

"The cutest." Brittany agreed with a grin. There were so many of them; ones of them that their parents had insisted of taking on their first days back at school, ones of both of them and Quinn at their various birthday parties – including one of Santana with her face covered in cake, which made them both laugh – and others that they hadn't even realised had been taken, when they were curled up asleep on the sofa in their pyjamas, or just playing outside in Brittany's back yard.

"I can't believe you kept all these." Santana said, almost in a whisper as she turned to face her girlfriend, a wave of emotion running through her at just how special she was. It was so touching to see how much time and effort Brittany must have put into this, how carefully she had kept all their precious memories safe for the both of them.

"Of course I did." Brittany replied with a soft smile as she closed the book and interlaced her fingers with Santana's. "I missed you so much when I moved here and… I don't know, this sort of made it feel like you were still here with me. Does that sound weird?" She asked with a shy smile, to which Santana shook her head immediately.

"Not at all, Britt-Britt." Santana said, squeezing their interlinked fingers. "Thank you."

"For what?" Brittany asked, a light pink tint on her fair cheeks and a bashful smile still tugging at her lips.

"For loving me all that time." Santana admitted, feeling a shiver run through her at her own words. Brittany smiled and leant in, pushing her lips against Santana's in a sweet and deep kiss. Santana felt herself tremble a little at the passion behind it, all the words she could feel and taste on Brittany's lips as their tongues met and brushed over each other.

"Thank god." Brittany whispered with a smile as they broke apart, only far enough that their noses were still touching. "I've been wanting to do that since we got here." Santana grinned and placed another soft kiss to Brittany's lips. The girls were broken from their little trance by the voice of Brittany's mum calling to them from downstairs. "Come on, that'll be dinner." Brittany said, squeezing Santana's hand and pulling her up from the chair.

**…**

The rest of the evening went by easily, and Santana felt a lot more relaxed than she had expected. Brittany's parents were both really welcoming, and Brittany had been right – they just seemed very happy to see her, and wanted to hear all about her news and what she'd been up to. There was only the occasional innocent question about love-interests or boyfriends which made Santana tense a little, and the piercing gaze of Mrs. Pierce when Santana had admitted that she wasn't '_really interested in having a boyfriend'_ that created a slight uneasiness in her stomach. But aside from that, Santana was happy about how the evening had turned out. She'd stuffed down an enormous amount of Mrs. Pierce's lasagna – how in god's name she had any room after all that turkey she had no idea – and Santana had discovered that she was actually a badass at charades.

"Singing In the Rain!" Santana yelled from her place on the sofa at Mr. Pierce, who was dancing around the living room holding up an imaginary umbrella. Santana fist-pumped the air when the man smiled and nodded triumphantly.

"Wha- How did you-?" Brittany asked, turning to her girlfriend with a dumfounded expression. Santana laughed as she high-fived Brittany's dad and shrugged her shoulders.

"What can I say, Britt? I'm awesome at this game." She said with a smug grin, laughing again when Brittany folded her arms and let out a huff of frustration.

"Beginners luck." The blonde muttered with that adorable pout of hers.

"Britts, you're up!" Her dad told her. Brittany stood up and grabbed one of the cards from the coffee table, reading it carefully before grinning and walking over to her place.

"Okay, it's a film…" Her mum said as Brittany made the gestures with her hands. "And… two words?" Brittany nodded before bending down on all fours. Santana giggled when the blonde began crawling around the room, lifting up her hand and pretending to lick her imaginary paws. "What is she doing?" Her mum whispered to her dad, who simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I have no idea." He chuckled as Brittany continued to crawl around on the carpet, clearly not giving up. "Honey, I think you need to try something else. We're not really getting-"

"The Aristocats!" Santana shouted suddenly. Brittany jumped up and threw her hands in the air triumphantly.

"Yes!" She squealed, running over to a smiling Santana and tackling her into the hug.

"How on earth did she-?" Brittany's dad turned to her mum, who laughed and shook her head.

"I still think you two are able to read each other's minds." She said, smiling at the two giddy girls on the couch. "Now on that note, I think I'm going to head up to bed." She announced with a yawn as she pulled herself up from the sofa. "Are you coming, dear?" Mr. Pierce nodded and stood up too, finishing what was left of his wine and placing it down on the table.

"Now don't stay up too late chatting you girls. I know what you're like." Her father said with a knowing grin in the direction of Santana and Brittany. "Santana, it's been great to have you here tonight, kiddo." Santana smiled at him warmly and thanked them both for having her again.

"Not at all. Now get some sleep, girls. Everyone's arriving at around midday tomorrow." Her mother told them, and with that, her parents disappeared upstairs, leaving the two girls alone on the couch. Santana smiled when Brittany shuffled closer and snuggled into her side.

"I'm glad you're here." Brittany said sweetly, wrapping her arms around the Latina's waist.

"Me too. Thanks for inviting me, baby." Santana smiled and began stroking her fingers through blonde hair, receiving a soft hum in response from Brittany.

"Sorry about my mum… She tends to ask a lot of questions." She said, looking up at her girlfriend with an apologetic look. Santana chuckled and shook her head.

"It's fine, Britt-Britt. Today was awesome." She told her truthfully, hugging the girl closer, who smiled and let out a content sigh. "Can I ask you a question?" Santana asked a little tentatively as she continued to play with Brittany's hair.

"Mhm…" Brittany hummed in response, her eyes fluttering closed with the sensation of Santana's fingers gliding through her hair.

"What your dad said… about _Julliard…"_ Santana began slowly and she felt Brittany tense a little in her arms. She watched as the girl sat up and looked at her, before dropping her gaze to her hands. "How come you didn't tell them why you really left?" Brittany fiddled with her fingers and pinched her bottom lip between her teeth. Santana shuffled closer to her and took her hands in hers, stopping their fidgeting. "Honey, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want." Santana told her softly, lifting blue eyes back up to meet hers. "But if you do, I'm here." Santana didn't want Brittany to talk about anything she was uncomfortable with, but she wanted her to know that she was here for her, and that she could tell her anything if she wanted to. She watched as a grateful smile graced Brittany's lips and those worried blue eyes softened again.

"Thanks, Santana." Brittany told her sweetly, squeezing their intertwined fingers. "I don't know why I didn't tell them." Her eyebrows pinched together again as she chewed on her lip in thought, and Santana couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was right now. "I just… I didn't mean to lie, because lying is stupid and I hate lying but… I didn't want to disappoint them, you know?" She looked up at Santana and blue eyes flickered between brown ones as Santana nodded in understanding. She gently rubbed her fingers over Brittany's knuckles and smiled reassuringly, waiting for her to continue. "Especially my mum… She was so excited when I got into Julliard, and that I got the scholarship and everything and then… I just didn't want her to know I left because people were being mean to me. If someone made fun of me at school, my dad was always really nice but my mum would just say that I was overreacting." Santana frowned, hating the idea of anyone being mean to Brittany, and hating that her mum wasn't there for her. Santana also hated that _she _couldn't have been there for her. "She said that's just what kids do, they make fun of each other, and that I say some weird things sometimes so I just need a better… _filter_. I think that's the word she used." Brittany explained with a shrug, and Santana's frown hardened.

"Your mum said that?" She asked, feeling a sudden surge of protectiveness as Brittany bit her lip and nodded.

"It's fine." Brittany brushed it off with another shrug. "I mean, sometimes I get my words mixed up and stuff, and I zone out quite a lot in class… I just- I didn't want my mum to get that look on her face again, you know? Like, she's disappointed… or embarrassed or something. So I told them that the course was too classical, and that I wanted more variation. So yeah, eventually they let me change."

"Britt…" Santana said softly, her eyes flickering over Brittany's saddened features; her lip tugged nervously between her teeth, her eyes dropped downwards and her forehead crinkling with worry. She hated seeing her like this.

"It's fine." Brittany mumbled again and Santana lifted a hand to Brittany's cheek, stroking it softly and lifting her gaze upwards again.

"It's not fine, Britt." Santana told her softly, watching as Brittany relaxed into her touch. "No one should ever make you feel like that. Especially not your mum." Brittany nodded against her hand and let out a little sigh.

"I just didn't want to disappoint her." Brittany said quietly and Santana felt her heart break a little at the vulnerability in her voice.

"I know, sweetie." She cooed, brushing her fingers gently across Brittany's cheek.

"She was just so happy when I got the scholarship, and then the thought of telling her why I wanted to drop out... I just _couldn't._" Brittany let out another little sigh and all Santana could do was wrap her arms around her neck and pull her tight against her body. She hated seeing Brittany upset by anything.

"I get that, baby. I know it must have been hard." She said, holding Brittany tight in her arms and brushing her fingers through blonde hair.

"I know you do. And that's why I told you the truth. Because I feel like I can tell you anything, you know?" She said, pulling away from the hug to look at Santana with so much affection filling those blue eyes. Santana smiled softly. "And I love my mum, I really do, I just… I didn't want her to hate me."

"Sweetie, your mum could never hate you." Santana told her as she took her hands in her own again, hoping that what she was saying was true. But she had seen that look of disappointment on Mrs. Pierce's face, and Santana wanted nothing more than to protect Brittany from that look, to never let her have to see it again. "She loves you, okay?" Santana wrapped her arm around Brittany's shoulder and let the girl sink into her side. "And so do I. I love you so much." Brittany smiled and slid her arms around Santana's waist, hugging her tight as if she never wanted to let her go.

"I love you too." Brittany said softly as Santana pressed a delicate kiss to her temple. "You always make me all better." Santana couldn't help but smile at the adorable tone to her girlfriend's voice, and she returned her hands to her hair, running her fingers soothingly through it as Brittany let out a content sigh.

"Are you okay though?" Santana asked, concern coating her voice as Brittany nodded against her shoulder.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'm just glad I have you here." Santana couldn't help but smile again at Brittany's words. "We should go to bed soon. I'm super tired." She added as she rested her head down on Santana's shoulder.

"Mhm yeah I'm sleepy..." Santana mumbled as she felt her own eyelids getting heavy. Today had been exhausting. She let out a loud yawn, giggling when Brittany immediately did the same.

"It's weird how yawns are contagious." Brittany muttered sleepily as she snuggled further into Santana's side, making her chuckle.

"I know, it's funny. Like, all you have to do is say the word yawn and it makes you-" Santana yawned loudly again before finishing her sentence. "Yawn." Brittany giggled.

"Yawn." The blonde repeated, turning to face Santana, who covered her mouth as another yawn took over her, making Brittany laugh again. "Yawn." She said again with a giggle.

"Stop-" Brittany continued to laugh as Santana couldn't help but yawn deeply again. "Stop it!" Santana said with a giggle, playfully shoving her girlfriend on the shoulder.

"You're right it is funny." Brittany told her around a grin. "Loads of things are contagious if you think about it though." She said, wrapping her arms around Santana's waist and hugging her tighter.

"Like what?" Santana asked, thinking how she could listen to Brittany talking forever; just talking, seeing the world like nobody else and making her smile like nobody else could.

"Like smiles. If someone smiles at someone, they always smile back." Santana grinned at the adorable way in which Brittany's sleepy mind always worked. "And hugs." Brittany continued as she felt Santana's arms squeeze tighter around her. "And kisses are contagious too…" She added with a mischievous smile, twisting her face and pressing her lips softly against Santana's. Santana smiled against her lips and kissed her back just as tenderly. "See." Brittany said with a cute grin as she laid her head back down on Santana's shoulder. "Totally contagious." Santana breathed out a light chuckle and pressed a delicate kiss to Brittany's temple.

"You should not be allowed to be this cute." Santana told a smiling Brittany as the girl nuzzled her face into Santana's neck.

"Is there like a law or something?" Brittany asked with a giggle which made Santana grin.

"No, but there should be." She replied, looking down at the adorable girl in her arms. "It's not fair on everyone else."

"Well, in that case, there should be a law against how sexy you are." Brittany said with a grin as she brushed her fingers lightly over Santana's bare thigh. Santana smiled, only to inhale sharply when Brittany's fingertips sneaked their way under the hem of her dress.

"Britt…" She breathed, closing her eyes at the sensation of Brittany's fingers tracing soft patterns on the inside of her thigh. "N-Not fair." Brittany giggled but didn't stop the movements of her fingers, which were getting dangerously close to the line of her panties. Santana's breathing was getting heavier and she could already feel herself getting turned on. _How did she always do this to her so easily?_

"Why?" Brittany asked seductively, her voice almost a whisper, as she let a single finger brush lightly over Santana's covered centre. _Oh god. _ A quiet gasp escaped her lips at the tingling sensation she felt under Brittany's barely-there touch. Brittany's finger ghosted its way slightly further upwards and Santana felt her sensitive spot throb in response.

"B-because-" She tried to explain, but she was finding it extremely difficult to form words, even though Brittany was hardly touching her. It was embarrassing how easily Brittany could work her up like this. She swallowed thickly and tried again. "Because… your parents." She let out a sigh of relief when Brittany finally withdraw her hand and opened her eyes to see Brittany grinning wickedly at her.

"Fine, we'll go upstairs." Brittany said, still smiling as she got up from the sofa. _Thank god. _They could not do this here. Not in Brittany's grand drawing room, on this very expensive-looking couch, with her parents right upstairs. Santana stood up unsteadily, her legs feeling a little shaky underneath her as she followed a smirking Brittany out of the room and up the stairs. Walking was rather uncomfortable to say the least, due to the new heat Santana could feel pooling between her thighs. She was glad to finally get into Brittany's room and sit down on the bed, crossing her tanned legs in an attempt to ease the throbbing between them. _Actually, maybe the bed wasn't the best place to sit right now, _she thought as she saw Brittany eyeing her hungrily from the other side of the room. Santana quickly stood up and began unpacking her things from her overnight bag, anything to distract her from the way she could feel her girlfriend's gaze burning into her. She heard Brittany giggle quietly and turned around, only to regret it immediately when she saw the blonde stepping out of her dress. _Oh god. _Santana averted her gaze and hastily changed into her pyjamas, probably looking like a complete idiot as she clumsily pulled on her tank top and sleep shorts.

"Santana?" She turned around to see a pyjama-clad Brittany watching her with an amused grin. "Are you okay?" Brittany cocked her head to the side, that smile still playing at her lips as she folded her arms across her chest. Santana gulped thickly and nodded.

"Y-yeah. It's just… I'm kinda warm that's all." She replied shakily, feeling her cheeks flushing pink under Brittany's gaze. _Damn that girl. _The blonde chuckled and reached for her hand. Santana took it and felt her skin flush even more at the contact. It was like she was sensitive to every touch, no matter how tiny or innocent. She was breathing even heavier when Brittany stepped towards her, closing the distance between them.

"You're really turned on right now, aren't you?" Brittany dared to ask around her mischievous grin. Santana was sure her cheeks were crimson right now, and all she could do was nod helplessly, making Brittany giggle. _God, that giggle. _"And that's freaking you out why?" Brittany asked in an amused tone, taking Santana's other hand and stepping even closer.

"B-Because your parents… they're just down the corridor." Santana told her unsteadily, feeling completely lost under that piercing blue gaze. Brittany chuckled and smiled affectionately as she leant in and placed the sweetest of kisses to Santana's flushed cheek. Santana let her eyes fall closed and smiled at the gesture.

"Would some fresh air help?" Brittany asked with a grin, laughing when Santana nodded furiously.

"God, yes." She groaned, allowing a very amused Brittany to lead her through the sliding door and out onto the little balcony. Santana immediately felt cooler as the night air hit her skin. She rested her elbows on the railing, leaning forward and looking out at the view. "Wow." She breathed as she admired the city lights flickering in the distance. "It really is beautiful."

"Yeah, it is." Brittany agreed from behind her, and Santana turned to see the blonde staring right at her. She couldn't help but smile and watched as Brittany smiled softly back, before sitting down on the chair and patting her knee for Santana to join her. "Come here." Brittany said softly. Santana made her way over to Brittany, sitting on her lap and allowing her girlfriend's arms to wrap around her waist. "You're so cute when you're all hot and bothered." Brittany told her with a giggle, making Santana's cheeks blush as she shoved her playfully on the shoulder.

"Stop making fun of me." Santana said with a bashful smile which made Brittany laugh affectionately.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry." She cooed, hugging her girlfriend tighter and nuzzling her nose against her shoulder. "But you love me, so it's okay right?" Brittany asked in a playful voice, smiling when Santana giggled.

"That I do." Santana told her, leaning back slightly to look at the beautiful smile stretching across those perfect lips. She sighed happily, letting herself get lost once again in those blue eyes, glinting slightly in the soft moonlight, the slight blush to her fair cheeks, that long blonde hair falling gently over her shoulders and down over her-

_Oh god. _

Santana's breath hitched ever so slightly and she felt that knot reappear in her stomach when she caught sight of just how see-through Brittany's white tank-top was.

"What?" Brittany asked, her eyebrows furrowing together and a confused sort of smile tugging at her lips. Santana felt herself blush and quickly lifted her gaze, shifting herself slightly on Brittany's lap as she felt the heat between her legs start up again. _Dear god. _"Seriously, what?" Brittany asked again with a chuckle, clearly amused by Santana's sudden flustered state.

"N-Nothing, it's just… your- your…" Santana helplessly stuttered as those blue eyes glistened with curiosity. _God, she felt like a nervous teenager again_. But how in the hell was she supposed to cope when Brittany's boobs were practically on full display right now? She shifted again and glanced up towards the sky, trying desperately to ignore the desire she could feel pooling between her thighs once again. "Your… Britt, I can totally see your boobs right now." She eventually huffed out, her gaze still firmly fixed above her, as she pointed a finger in the general direction of the blonde's chest. Brittany glanced down and her eyes widened for a second, before she giggled.

"Oh." She said around a grin. "Sorry, it's cold out here." She shrugged and let out another giggle.

"Yeah, I can see that." Santana told her, chancing another look and internally cursing herself when she caught sight of Brittany's nipples poking against the tantalisingly thin material of her shirt. "Jesus." She muttered, rolling her eyes away and hearing Brittany giggling again.

"You know, if it helps," Brittany began, a finger gently stroking soft circles on Santana's lower back. "I can totally see yours too." Santana gasped and looked down at her shirt, where indeed her own hardened nipples were visible, although she was pretty sure that wasn't because of the cold. Her cheeks instantly heated up and she had to shift again to ease the sensation she had between her legs. She turned to see Brittany smiling affectionately at her. "You literally couldn't be any more adorable right now." Brittany told her around her grin, making Santana smile shyly. She squealed when Brittany suddenly took hold of her leg and twisted her so that Santana was straddling her. Her hands instinctively went up to rest on Brittany's shoulders, and she bit her lip at their sudden closeness. "Sorry, it's just you kept shifting around so I thought maybe you were uncomfortable." Brittany explained with a cheeky smile, her eyes glinting mischievously as she playful pinched Santana's waist, causing her to giggle.

"How thoughtful of you." Santana told her with a grin, unconsciously leaning a little closer to her girlfriend.

"I know." Brittany agreed, still smiling as her hands stroked softly up and down the Latina's back. "But can you kiss me now because your boobs look really good and I'm dying over here?" The blonde said matter-of-factly to a blushing Santana.

"What about your parents though?" Santana asked, nevertheless inching her face further towards Brittany's.

"First of all, they're probably asleep." Brittany said, their lips so close to each other's now and their noses brushing together. "Plus, they're _way _down the other end of the house, so..." She added quietly, ghosting her lips lightly over Santana's and causing brown eyes to flutter closed. Santana decided that was a good enough reason, and she finally leant in and closed the gap between them, capturing Brittany's lips in a hard kiss. She heard Brittany's sharp intake of breath, which only sent further desire coursing through her body as their tongues met. She couldn't hold it in any longer, and let out a low moan into Brittany's mouth, one she felt like she'd been holding in forever. Hearing this, Brittany gripped Santana's waist and pulled her further into her lap, sending another jolt of arousal through the Latina's body. Santana was now almost whimpering into the kiss; she couldn't remember feeling this turned on as the movements of Brittany's tongue against her own continued to drive her crazy in ways only she knew how.

Santana gripped the nape of Brittany's neck, tugging her closer and harder against her lips as if she hadn't kissed her in forever; it definitely felt like that anyway. Her lungs were struggling to keep up with her erratic breathing, and Santana could feel her heart pounding, matching the throbbing rhythm between her legs. She couldn't help but gasp when Brittany ran her hands up her sides, pushing her tight tank-top up with them. She had to break away from the kiss to let out a shaky breath when Brittany's hands slowly pushed the material just high enough to expose her breasts. Santana felt a shiver run down her spine as the cool air hit her bare chest and her already hardened nipples, and had to bite her lip when she saw the way Brittany was staring at them, perfectly in line with her face. Chest heaving, she looked down at Brittany, who smiled, before swiping her thumbs gently over the stiff peaks. Santana's lips parted and she let her head fall back as each swipe or pinch of Brittany's expert fingers sent delicious tingles all the way through her body and straight down to her core, where she was sure she was already pooling through her underwear.

"Mhm Britt…" She moaned softly, her hands still resting on Brittany's shoulders to keep her steady. Santana's top still bunched up around her chest, Brittany pulled the Latina even further towards her, creating the tiniest hint of friction that had Santana's body aching for more. She gasped when she felt soft lips latch around her hard nipple and her hand instinctively shot into blonde hair, holding her girlfriend in place as Brittany began sucking.

_Okay, she was definitely pooling through her underwear._

"Oh, god-" Santana breathed helplessly as Brittany's tongue poked out to flick the tip of her nipple, before circling it and repeating the motion. Her head was spinning with all the sensations running through her body, and the way Brittany's nails were raking gently over her ribs as she continued the expert movements of her tongue. "Brittany…" She breathed out for no reason in particular as she felt soft kisses being dusted across to her other breast.

"Mhm?" She hummed in response before wrapping her lips around Santana's other nipple and repeating what she had done to the last, driving Santana wild and leaving her body trembling for more.

"God, I'm… I'm _so_ wet." Santana moaned breathlessly, arching her body into the blonde's touch.

"Fuck." She head Brittany gasp out at her words, which only sent more arousal burning through her. _She needed her so badly right now_. As if hearing her thoughts, Brittany sneaked her hand under the waistline of Santana's shorts, running her fingers through her folds and discovering just how wet she was. Santana gasped and glanced down to look at Brittany, whose eyes locked with hers as she dragged her fingers up to draw light circles around her most sensitive spot. Santana let out a soft moan and she heard Brittany curse again, which always drove her crazy, so she grabbed Brittany's neck and reattached their lips again in a hungry kiss. "I need you… now…" Brittany told her breathlessly in between kisses as she gripped Santana's thighs and slowly stood up, lifting the Latina with her. Santana wrapped her legs around her waist and moved her kisses to Brittany's neck, nipping and sucking on the skin there and eliciting beautiful little whimpers from the blonde in return.

Brittany slid open the door and pushed Santana down on the bed, before grinning and crawling up her body to reattach their lips. Pale hands moved to her stomach, before sliding up and pushing her top all the way off. Santana broke the kiss and lifted her arms to allow Brittany to remove the item and chuck it on the floor. Their breathing had become so much heavier and the temperature in the room seemed like a thousand degrees compared to outside, as both girls stared at each other, chests heaving and hearts racing.

"Britt-" Santana breathed as the blonde moved her mouth to her neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses there and sucking deliciously on her pulse-point. _Oh god._ "Britt." She said again and Brittany trailed her lips up her neck, along her jaw, pressing feather-light kisses across her cheek before kissing her lips softly. She pulled back and darkened blue eyes searched brown ones. "What… what if you're parents… wake up?" Santana questioned breathlessly, her hands sliding up and down Brittany's arms as she spoke. She didn't want this to stop – she _really _didn't want this to stop – but the idea of Brittany's parents walking in on them doing _this_ was just unthinkable on so many levels.

"They won't wake up." Brittany told her softly, leaning down and pressing another kiss to Santana's lips, which had her leaning up into it to feel as much of it as she could.

"Bu-but what if they do?" She asked, breaking away again and searching blue eyes.

"Then I guess…" _Another kiss_. "We'll just have to be…" Another and Santana could feel her resolve weakening. "Really…" Brittany nibbled on Santana's bottom lip and a shiver ran down her spine. "_Really _quiet." She whispered, and _holy shit _Santana could not be more turned on right now. She whimpered into the kiss as Brittany's hands returned to her boobs, her fingers ghosting over her nipples and pinching them gently. _Oh dear god._ With a slightly harder pinch of her nipples, Santana had to break away from the kiss to let out a moan and she heard Brittany giggle.

"Baby, you're meant to be being quiet." She whispered with another breathy chuckle.

"I-I know." Santana replied shakily and ran her fingers softly through blonde hair. _But god, it was so damn difficult._ Brittany smiled, before kissing her again. She moved her kisses lower, trailing them down Santana's neck and over her collarbone. Santana had to bite her lip to stop from making a sound when Brittany's lips reached her breasts again, pressing soft kisses to her nipples, before trailing lower over her stomach and _oh god._ When her kisses reached her navel, Santana was a quivering mess. She was finding it so damn hard to stay quiet, what with Brittany's lips so close to where she needed them right now. It was torturous trying to hold in the urges she wanted to give in to so badly, and Brittany smirking at her as she hooked her fingers under the waistline of her shorts definitely wasn't helping matters.

When Brittany finally pulled her shorts down and over her ankles, Santana was burning, throbbing, aching to be touched, and squirming from the anticipation. Brittany was just so damn hot, and she was so in love with her she almost couldn't stand it. She gasped and couldn't help the tiny noise which came out of her when Brittany without warning ran a finger through her now dripping centre. She had to bite her lip again when Brittany traced a light circle over her sensitive spot, but still couldn't fight the moan that escaped her lips.

"Shhh…" Brittany told her with a giggle, stopping her movements and looking up at Santana.

"G-God, it's so fucking difficult." Santana stammered out unevenly, feeling her clit throbbing unbearably under Brittany's stilled finger. Brittany removed her hand and rubbed her palms softly over the insides of her thighs, before pushing them apart gently.

"Just relax." She whispered to Santana. Santana nodded and took a deep breath, letting her eyes fall closed as Brittany began peppering kisses along her thighs. Her eyes snapped open again when she felt Brittany's lips press softly against her most sensitive spot, sending a delicious tingle through her body. She had to grip the sheets beside her, anything to try and stop the moan which wanted to escape her mouth, but she failed miserably when Brittany's tongue poked out and flicked across her sensitive bud.

"_God-" _Santana groaned out as she clenched the sheets tighter in her fists.

"Baby, shhh…" Brittany cooed with a soft giggle, clearly amused by her girlfriend's inability to remain quiet, but not helping matters when Santana felt her warm breath brush over her clit. _Holy fucking shit._

"Just… don't stop." Santana begged her, to which Brittany obliged immediately with another series of kisses further down then up, then her tongue tracing circles and circles, winding the knot in Santana's stomach tighter and tighter until she couldn't think straight. When Brittany's tongue found its way inside of her, she felt her walls instantly clench around it, and she grabbed the pillow next to her, throwing it over her face to stop the muffled moans escaping her. Brittany curled her tongue deliciously, pulling it out halfway before forcing it back in and sending another wave of pleasure through her. It's like Brittany knew exactly what to do to her, exactly where to place her lips, how to move her tongue in such a way that drove Santana crazy, and she loved every second of it. She trusted her, she trusted her with her body, and knowing how to make her lose control completely, like she had never done with anyone else.

Brittany's tongue withdrew from inside her, only to be replaced with two fingers and Santana arched her back at the new sensation. "Yes, _fuck-"_ She mumbled incoherently into the pillow, and gasped when Brittany's lips returned to her clit, taking it into her mouth and sucking hard. Santana was now trembling, her body squirming underneath Brittany's touch as she clenched the pillow harder and felt herself nearing the release she was craving. Brittany's fingers continued their perfect rhythm, thrusting in and out, as her tongue alternated between circling her clit and flicking up and down over it. "_Brittany-"_ Santana's gasps had slowly turned into faint moans of her name as all the air disappeared from her lungs with the way every single muscle in her body was tingling. Santana could feel how close she was, and apparently so could Brittany because her one hand still on the Latina's thigh tightened its grip as her tongue quickened its pace, the tip flicking repeatedly over Santana's clit. The only breathless word still leaving her lips was Brittany's name, over and over again, as she felt her walls tightening around her digits and her thighs trembling around the blonde's face. "Britt I'm… I'm gonna-" She gasped into the pillow as she felt the heat within her finally reach its peak, sending delicious waves of pleasure raking through her body. Brittany only quickened her movements, fluttering her fingers inside of her and circling her tongue, over and over again until Santana exploded. Grasping blonde hair, writhing beneath her and thrashing her head to the side, Santana couldn't control any of her movements as her orgasm continued to convulse through her with Brittany's relentless touch.

She finally felt herself relax and let out a long breath as Brittany withdrew her fingers and slowed her tongue, bringing her down until she was trembling with too much sensitivity.

"Holy fuck." Santana breathed as she threw the pillow from her face and felt Brittany press once last kiss to her centre before crawling back up the bed and collapsing next to her. "That… was amazing." Santana told her girlfriend, chest still heaving as she turned to face her. Brittany giggled and leaned in to press her lips against Santana's.

"It really was." Brittany agreed with a grin as they broke apart. With her hand resting on Santana's stomach, her finger began tracing lazy patterns on her bare skin. "I love doing _that_ to you." She admitted in a quiet voice, looking up at Santana and smiling shyly.

"Well I love you doing _that_." Santana told her with a seductive smile, leaning in and kissing her again.

"I could tell." Brittany replied with a smirk, receiving a playful slap on her arm. "What? You were so bad at being quiet." She teased, making the Latina blush harder.

"Hey, it's difficult." Santana protested around a bashful smile, making Brittany giggle.

"I bet I could be quiet." The blonde replied, a playful edge to her voice as she bit down on her lip, making Santana's heart rate quicken again.

"Is that a challenge, Brittany S. Pierce?"

**…**

"Morning beautiful." Santana woke up in her favourite way possible the next day: to the sound of Brittany's soft, slightly sleepy voice next to her, the sight of those still tired blue eyes staring back at her, that lazily smile she loved so much, and blonde hair falling messily over the pillow beside her. The light, vanilla scent invading her senses, a pale arm draped lazily over her stomach, and tanned legs intertwined with slender, pale ones. Very _naked_, slender, pale ones.

_Yep, this was definitely her favourite way to wake up._

"Mornin' to you too." Santana mumbled, a silly smile stretching across her lips as sleepy blue eyes fluttered closed and Brittany nuzzled into her side.

"How'd you sleep?" Brittany brushed her nose affectionately against Santana's cheek before placing a soft kiss there.

"Like a freaking rock." Santana said around her grin. "You?"

"Mhm same." Brittany said, tightening her grip around her girlfriend's waist and pulling her closer. "I love waking up like this." Santana twisted to face Brittany properly, tucking some messy blonde hair behind her ear and smiling happily.

"Me too." She told her softly, before leaning in and capturing Brittany's lips in a deep kiss. "Mhm… definitely me too." She added, smiling when she heard a cute little giggle escape Brittany's lips. "Especially when you look so beautiful." She added, watching the pink tint appear on lightly freckled cheeks.

"Ugh no. I bet I look awful." Brittany said with a bashful smile, lifting a hand to cover her flushed cheeks. Santana grinned and tugged her hand away, lacing their fingers together before kissing those pouting lips.

"You could never look awful." Santana told her, kissing her again. "In fact, you look really fucking sexy right now." She purred, smiling when Brittany tugged her closer and reconnected their lips passionately.

"So… do you…" Brittany mumbled between kisses, her hand exploring the bare skin of Santana's back and sending delicious tingles down her spine. "You look… really… _really-"_ The girls suddenly sprung apart when a knock sounded on Brittany's bedroom door.

"Girls, are you awake?" _Shit, fuck, shit._ Both girls lay there frozen for a second, eyes comically wide and not saying anything, until another knock reminded them that they should probably do something.

With possibly the quickest movement of her entire life, Santana commando-rolled herself off Brittany's bed and landed with a thud onto the mattress set up for her beside it.

"Yeah, just a minute mum!" Santana could hear Brittany frantically grabbing clothes as she hastily pulled on her own tank-top, which had been discarded on the floor last night, and dove under the duvet to cover up her still very naked lower half. She silently commended herself for her ninja-quick movements when Brittany's mum opened the door only seconds later.

"Morning girls!" Mrs. Pierce chirped brightly to them as they smiled back, cheeks flushed and chests still heaving. Santana had to suppress a giggle when she looked up at Brittany, who was sat in a very awkward-looking position on her bed, her sleep shorts on and her pyjama top twisted inside out, as she frantically ran a hand through matted blonde hair. "I hope you both slept well." Her mum sung as she pulled open the curtains, making both girls squint at the bright sunlight now streaming in.

"Mum, no! It's so _bright_." Brittany groaned, flopping back down onto the mattress and throwing an arm over her eyes. Her mother chuckled and shook her head as she made her way back over to the door.

"Come on, it's a lovely day! You wouldn't want to waste it. Besides, everyone's arriving in about an hour, so rise and shine!" Santana laughed lightly, now seeing why Brittany was such a morning person. "And there's breakfast downstairs when you want it." With a smile, she disappeared out of the room again, and both girls let out a deep breath, before glancing at each other and bursting out into laughter.

"Holy shit that was close." Santana breathed with a chuckle as she climbed back up onto Brittany's bed.

"I know." The blonde agreed with a grin. "Nice ninja-roll by the way." She added, making Santana laugh as she crawled over to her.

"Thanks, I was pretty impressed with it." She said with a chuckle. Brittany giggled, before standing up and tugging Santana with her.

"Come on let's go eat. Dad's probably made bacon."

"Dear god yes." Santana groaned to a giggling Brittany. She could never forget the heavenly taste of Mr. Pierce's cooked breakfasts.

**…**

_Overwhelmed._

That would probably be the best way to sum Santana up right now. She was currently stood in the Pierce's back yard next to Brittany, listening to her while she explained who each member of the apparently _huge_ Pierce Family was.

"Okay, so that's my Uncle Danny and my Aunt Lisa." She explained, pointing out a cute, young-looking couple talking to Brittany's mum. "And that's their daughter Rosie. See the one with ketchup all down her front? Yep, that's her. And over there's my dad's brother James." She said, pointing out a blonde, slightly chubby man standing with Mr. Pierce by the barbeque. "He's super nice. Just whatever you do don't ask about his wife 'cause he's just got divorced for the third time." Santana nodded, trying to take all the information in, while at the same time trying not to freeze to death. Why in the hell it was a good plan to have a barbeque in November, she had no idea, and she was beginning to regret the dress she was wearing in an attempt to look nice for the occasion. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, as she looked around the garden, taking in all the different people laughing and chatting happily, and what seemed like hundreds of little kids running around and generally causing havoc. "Baby, don't look so panicked." Brittany said with an amused smile as she squeezed her girlfriend's shoulder reassuringly. "To be honest, I have no idea who most of these people are either. They're mostly my parents' friends." Santana managed a smile and took another deep breath. _Okay, what had Kurt said? Lovely, charming, polite. Got it. Oh and steer clear of the small children._

As if on cue, a tiny, blonde-haired boy came bounding over to them and tackled Brittany's knees into a hug. _Damn mind-reading kids._

"Brendon!" Brittany squealed, bending down and lifting up the little boy in her arms, who Santana had to admit was pretty cute. He actually looked like a miniature, boy-version of Brittany, with floppy, sandy-blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and a mischievous little grin. "Brendon, I want you to meet someone very special. This is Santana. Santana, this is my cousin Brendon." _God, how do you greet little kids these days? Hand-shake? High-five?_ Santana settled on a smile and an awkward wave at the little boy who was now trying to bury his face in Brittany's shoulder. _Okay, he really was kind of cute._

"Hey little man." Santana said, grinning when he blushed and hid further into Brittany, who chuckled.

"He's kinda shy." She whispered to Santana, who mouthed _oh _and nodded.

"Hey, cool football jersey." Santana commented, pointing at the white shirt he was wearing with a number 5 printed on it. She had no idea they even made them that tiny.

"It's a baseball jersey." The boy corrected her, suddenly a little more confident, which made both girls laugh.

"Of course it is, my mistake." Santana told him with a smile. "You like baseball then, huh?" She asked the little boy who nodded furiously.

"I even brought my new ball with me. I got it from Daddy for my birthday." He said with a smug little grin which Santana couldn't help but smile at.

"So how old are you then?" She asked the little boy, who was now poking Brittany's nose with his finger and giggling. He held up four fingers to show Santana.

"Four years-old?" She said with a mock-gasp. He smiled and nodded triumphantly. "Wow, and you're nearly as tall as our friend Rachel. That's pretty good going." Brittany laughed but Brendon just stared at her with a confused expression. Santana chuckled and shook her head. "Well I tell you what. How about later after we've had some food, you and me can play a game of catch. Would that be fun?" Brendon grinned and nodded enthusiastically again, which actually made Santana's heart melt a little. Trust the only kid she found cute to be a relation of Brittany's. Santana looked at her girlfriend, who was beaming brightly.

"Why don't you go find your dad and we'll play with you in a bit, little monster?" Brittany asked as she put the little guy back down.

"I want to play with Santana, not you." The boy said with a little pout as he folded his arms across his chest, making both girls laugh.

"Okay, okay. Go have some fun." Brittany told him with a chuckle as he turned and ran towards a few of the other kids.

"He's adorable." Santana said, turning to Brittany who grinned. "And normally little kids annoy the hell out of me." She added, making Brittany giggle.

"Well you were kind of adorable with him." Brittany told her with a shy sort of smile and Santana felt her cheeks heat up a little. She really wanted to kiss her right now with how cute she was being, especially in the blue, floaty dress she was wearing, but settled instead for a grin and a quick squeeze of her hand. Brittany grinned back before her dad made his way over to them, wearing an apron and holding a spatula. He was clearly on barbeque duty.

"Britts, we're running out of beer, and you know what Uncle James is like." He said with a knowing look to which Brittany nodded. "Could you run and grab some more from the fridge, honey?"

"Sure." Brittany went to turn back to the house, but was stopped by Santana's hand gripping hers tightly. "I'll literally be two seconds." She told her girlfriend with an affectionate laugh, who nodded a little uncertainly. She felt way too nervous to be out here on her own. There were way too many people, the only ones she knew being Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, and she wasn't sure how she felt about Brittany's mum after what she'd learnt last night. She didn't have time to dispute it though because Mr. Pierce wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder.

"You look like you're in need of a burger." He said with a grin, making Santana relax again. She turned around and smiled at Brittany, who grinned back before making her way into the house. "Sorry, it can be a little crazy with the whole family here." Richard said apologetically as he led Santana over to the barbeque.

"No worries." Santana replied with a smile as she breathed in the glorious smell of burgers. "I'm kind of jealous actually. I always wanted a big family. Mine's pretty small." Richard must have sensed the slight sadness to Santana's tone because he gave her a sympathetic smile while he began flipping burgers over the grill.

"Well, I'd count yourself lucky, kid. It's chaos with all four of Jennifer's sisters in one place." He told her, circling a finger by his head to motion the sign for _crazy. _Santana laughed and nodded. She'd always got on well with Mr. Pierce; He was fun and laid back, and had that same kind look in his blue eyes that Brittany did.

"Yeah, there's enough chaos in my house and there's only three of us." Santana joked, receiving a hearty chuckle from Brittany's dad. "And that's without my abuela. That old lady's pretty intense." He laughed again, and Santana watched as he flipped a burger up in the air and caught again.

"I really do miss your family. We'll have to catch up when we're all back in Lima over Christmas." Santana smiled warmly and nodded. "And I can't tell you how lovely it is to see you again." He added sincerely as he plopped one of the burgers into a bun and wrapped it in a napkin. "Hold it, you're not a vegetarian or anything are you?" He asked with a worried expression which made Santana chuckle.

"God, no." She said and he grinned before handing the burger.

"Good girl. But seriously, it's great to have you here. My little girl was always her happiest when she was running around with you, so thank you for bringing that spring back to her step." He told her with a sincere smile, and Santana returned it warmly, feeling his words touch her deeply.

"You're welcome. But I have to admit that I was pretty lost without her too." She told him truthfully and he smiled softly.

"Well I'm glad you two make each other as happy as you do." Santana could have sworn she saw something glint in his eye, the tiniest hint of a knowing smile as he said those words, but Brittany returned before she could question it too much.

"Hey!" Brittany sang, throwing her arm around Santana's shoulder, who grinned back at her. "Do I get one?" She asked her dad, pointing to the barbeque.

"Of course, munchkin." He said with a chuckle, handing her a burger.

"What have you two been chatting about?" She asked them as she took a large bite of her burger. "Mmm yummy."

"Oh, just this and that." Her dad said, shooting a wink at Santana, who smiled back. Brittany looked at them both quizzically for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and grabbing Santana's arm.

"Come on. There's some people I want to meet." Brittany said with a grin as she tugged Santana by the arm. Santana gave Mr. Pierce a smile as he grinned and waved them off with his spatula.

**…**

Santana was exhausted. She didn't think she'd ever been introduced to so many different people in such a short amount of time before, so trying to remember all their names, how they were related and whose kids were whose, as well as playing a game of catch with Brendon, which had soon escalated into a full-on baseball match involving most of the Pierce family, had completely worn her out. It had been a great afternoon though. Despite the cold November chill, the sun had stayed out and it had turned into a rather beautiful evening, and Santana felt content as she said her goodbyes to everyone that was still there. She'd managed not to make a complete fool out of herself in front of Brittany's family – if you didn't count her slipping over spectacularly on her way into fourth base and falling flat on her ass that is, but everyone seemed to find it funny, so she managed to brush it off with a laugh and a little bow for effect. Really, she had just enjoyed spending time with Brittany, and getting a bigger glimpse into the part of her world she'd missed out on over the past few years.

Mr. Pierce had called her a cab since Brittany would be staying another night, and Santana was collecting the last of her things from Brittany's room.

"I had an awesome time today, baby. Thank you for inviting me." Santana said as she threw her pyjamas into her overnight bag. She stood up and couldn't help but chuckle at the girl standing next to her, who was pouting adorably. "What's up, Britt-Britt?"

"I don't want you to leave." The blonde mumbled and Santana grinned affectionately.

"You'll see me tomorrow." Santana said with another light chuckle as she pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug.

"I'll miss you though." Brittany muttered into her shoulder and Santana felt herself melt a little, because _how cute was she right now?_

"I'm gonna miss you too, Britt." She told her, laughing again when Brittany tightened the death-grip she had around her waist. "But you're really going to miss me if you squeeze me so hard that I stop breathing." She heard Brittany giggle softly before she loosed her grip a little.

"Sorry." She mumbled, that pout still pushing out those perfect lips of her as she leant back and looked at Santana with those big puppy eyes.

"Oh man, don't give me that look." Santana said, pointing her finger at Brittany. "Otherwise I'll never leave."

"Good." Brittany said with a triumphant grin, which made Santana laugh.

"I have to though. You need to spend time with your parents, and I actually need to do some work for my exams." She told her as Brittany rolled her eyes.

"Fiiine." Brittany huffed out, but a small smile played at her lips which Santana couldn't help but think was the cutest thing ever. She leaned in and kissed Brittany softly, feeling her smile against her lips as she kissed her back. "So I was thinking…" Brittany announced slowly as they broke apart, the smile still tugging at her lips. "That I might tell my parents tonight." Santana looked at her blankly for a second before her eyes widened with realisation.

"You mean… like, about us?" Brittany nodded as she grinned excitedly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I mean why not? I think they'll be totally fine with it. Why wouldn't they be?" She said casually with a shrug. Santana smiled at her girlfriend, admiring her always optimistic attitude, but she still couldn't help the slight nervousness she felt, or the twinge of uneasiness tugging at her stomach.

"Do they know that you… you know, like girls as well?" Santana asked carefully but Brittany simply shrugged again.

"I don't know. I don't think so, but I mean I've never really brought anyone home to meet them like that before, so who knows." Santana smiled softly and nodded as Brittany took her hands and squeezed them gently. "Would that be okay though? If I told them maybe?" She asked sweetly, her voice full of love and care.

"Of course, baby. As long as you're okay with it, I don't mind." She replied truthfully, because to be honest, all she cared about was that Brittany was happy, and if telling her parents made her happy, then Santana would be happy too. She just couldn't shake the tiny nagging feeling in her stomach when she thought about Mrs. Pierce, and how she would take it. "Are you sure you don't want me with you though?" She asked, feeling suddenly very protective of the sweet and innocent girl she loved standing in front of her.

"I think it's better if I just tell them myself, you know? Not that I don't want you there, I just don't want them to feel… ganged up on or whatever." Santana smiled and nodded again, understanding Brittany completely.

"Okay, Britt. But will you call me if you do it?" She asked, searching blue eyes, which softened as Brittany nodded. "And I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine, but if it isn't, you know that I'm-"

"Santana, I know." Brittany interrupted her with a warm smile. "I know you're here for me, and I love you okay? I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Santana let out a content sigh at the words she needed to hear so much, and leant in to kiss Brittany again.

"I love you too." She whispered against her lips.

"I have something for you." Brittany announced when they broke apart, looking at Santana with a slightly bashful smile. The Latina quirked her eyebrows, intrigued, as Brittany giggled excitedly before pressing another quick peck to her lips and skipping over to her desk. "I want you to have this." Brittany told her as she opened the top drawer and pulled out the photo album they'd been looking through yesterday. Santana's eyes widened as Brittany turned around and held out the little book.

"Britt…" She breathed softly, a little overcome with emotion, as Brittany smiled affectionately at her. "I couldn't… It's yours." Brittany simply smiled harder and shook her head.

"But I want you to have it." Santana couldn't help the goofy smile which stretched across her lips as Brittany placed the colourfully-decorated book in her hands.

"But you took so much time putting it together." Santana said, while turning the object carefully over in her hands. She slowly flicked through the pages, smiling at all the memories so perfectly laid out in front of her, and how completely wonderful this girl was who had kept them safe for her.

"I know. But I only made it because I couldn't have you with me, and I didn't want to forget all of it." Brittany admitted with a shy smile. "But now I have the real thing, so I don't need it anymore." She added, making Santana giggle. "And you're not planning on disappearing anytime soon are you?" Santana laughed again and shook her head.

"Never." Brittany grinned and placed a quick kiss to her lips.

"Good. So you'll keep it?" Santana beamed back and nodded, giggling when Brittany squealed excitedly and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Britt. This means so much to me." Santana said softly as the girl released her from her grasp. "I'll guard it with my life." She joked.

"You better." Brittany said, narrowing her eyes and pointing a finger at her girlfriend, who chuckled lightly. "Now get that sexy butt of yours out of here before I never let you leave." Santana giggled as Brittany grabbed her bag, lifting it up onto her shoulder before taking her hand and leading her out of the room.

"You'll come over to mine as soon as you get back?" Santana asked as they made their way downstairs.

"Of course. Movie night?" Brittany asked excitedly.

"Definitely." Santana said with a wink. "You can pick the movie. But make it something HummleBerry hate so we can get our cuddle on." She added in a whisper as they headed over to the front door where Brittany's parents were waiting to send her off. Brittany grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Santana smiled and glanced down at the little hand-made album in her hands.

_Yep, this weekend had been pretty damn good._


	25. Love Letters

**SO sorry about the massive wait! I've been crazy busy - exams, end of term etc. but anyway I hope you like it! As always would love to know what you think! x**

**Chapter 25:**

"Oh my goodness! Santana, you were so _cute_!" Rachel squealed in that annoyingly high-pitched voice of hers. Santana glared at her friend who had somehow managed to grab the photo album Brittany had given her as soon as she'd walked through the door of the apartment. It's like she had a talent for knowing exactly how to piss her off.

"Berry, give that back _right _now or I swear I'm gonna-"

"Kurt, you have to see this! How adorable does she look in this little tutu?" Rachel continued, ignoring the extremely pissed off expression on the Latina's face, as she waved the little book in front of Kurt. He had to cover his mouth with his hand to stifle a laugh as he eyed the picture of a five-year-old Santana in her ballet outfit.

"Wow I must say, Santana, pink really is your colour." He remarked with a smirk, receiving a glare from his roommate.

"Berry, I'm serious!" Santana warned, making another failed attempt to grab the book from Rachel's hands. "Jesus, I really don't have the blood-alcohol level to deal with this right now."

"Oh calm down." Rachel told her, rolling her eyes as she finally handed the album back to her friend. "I don't know why you're embarrassed, you were an adorable child." Santana simply glared back at her as she snapped shut the little book.

"Why thank you, Berry. And I wish I could say the same for you, but I've seen your baby photos - they're terrifying." She retorted, earning herself a mock glare and a stuck-out tongue from her roommate.

"But seriously, Brittany made this?" Kurt asked Santana, who nodded a little bashfully as she eyed the book in her hands. "That's adorable."

"Really adorable." Rachel agreed as she plopped herself down on the couch. "So everything with her parents went well?" Santana smiled and nodded, sitting herself down next to Rachel and leaning her head back against the sofa.

"Yeah everything was great. Her family's pretty awesome." She smiled as she thought back over the past couple of days. "There's definitely something up with her mum though." She added, her smile fading slightly as she remembered the tiniest hint of coldness behind Mrs. Pierce's blue eyes.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked from the other sofa, sitting forward in his seat. "Did you guys tell her?" His eyes suddenly widened with surprise.

"No no, not yet."

"Not yet?" Rachel questioned, turning to face her roommate properly.

"Britt said she might do it tonight."

"Gosh, that's huge!" Rachel shrieked excitedly, making Santana jump a little next to her. _God, inside voice, Berry._

"But you don't think her mum's going to take it so well?" Kurt asked tentatively, looking at Santana questioningly and seeing the worry clouding her face.

"No. I mean… I don't know." She sighed heavily. "I just… I got a weird vibe from her, you know?" Santana leaned forward in her seat, glancing between her two friends as if hoping to find some answers, but unsurprisingly finding nothing. "Mrs. Pierce is really nice and everything, she's just always been a little… I don't know, _judgemental _I guess." Her roommates both nodded in understanding, but neither seemed to know what to say. _What could they say though?_ Santana sighed again and fell back heavily against the cushions. "I'm just worried about Britt. She's just so trusting, and that's something I love about her but… She thinks they're going to be totally cool with it and I mean they might be but… It'll kill her if they're not, and I just don't want to see her go through that, you know?"

"We know, honey." Rachel told her comfortingly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But we're all here for Brittany if that does happen. And we're here for you as well, okay?" Santana nodded and smiled gratefully.

"And, who knows? Maybe Mrs. Pierce will surprise you and be really happy for you two." Kurt added, trying his best to sound optimistic, but Santana could tell he didn't fully believe that. She managed to force a smile as she stood up from the sofa.

"Thanks guys, really, but I think I'm just gonna go to bed. I'm fucking exhausted." She told them, suddenly feeling the weight of the past few days heavy on her shoulders, and needing to be alone for a bit. It had been a great couple of days; she'd loved spending time with Brittany and her family, learning more about the girl that had changed her world so much, and feeling like she was really a part of hers. But it had also been draining; trying to make a good impression, constantly having to be careful about how she was touching or even looking at Brittany. She needed some rest, or at least some time to digest everything.

They both nodded and watched as she solemnly made her way out of the living room and down the corridor. Closing her bedroom door behind her, Santana flopped down onto her bed and let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't help but worry about Brittany. _How would her parents take it? How upset would Brittany be if they couldn't accept it? Couldn't accept them?_ Santana knew her heart would break seeing the look on her girlfriend's face if things didn't go well; those usually bright blue eyes clouded with sadness, those perfect pink lips pulled between her teeth with worry, that adorable forehead crinkled in confusion. She couldn't bare even the thought of it.

Santana opened the little book still in her hands and immediately felt herself smile. Brittany's young face looked back at her, beaming brightly and lifting her spirits as it always had. She delicately turned over the pages, carefully taking in each photograph; each cheeky little grin, each perfect little moment captured on camera all those years ago, and shook her head, a stupid smile on her face as she wondered how in the hell she'd gotten so lucky.

Santana wasn't sure how long she lay there, leafing through page after page of old photographs and memories, allowing herself to step back in time and relive every single one in ridiculously perfect detail, as if it had been only the other day rather than over ten years ago, but she soon felt her eyelids getting heavy and her body beginning to ache from tiredness. She closed the album and rolled over to place it on her bedside table, only to completely miss and watch it tumble to the floor. _Fucking hell, she needed some sleep. _Santana huffed and sat up, leaning down to retrieve the book, but she froze when something caught her eye. It had fallen open on the back page and how had she not noticed this before? Stuck onto the page with sellotape, was a little hand-made envelope – you know those ones you thought you were seriously cool by making when you were younger? – with a pink heart sticker sealing it closed. Santana grinned at this little detail which was just so _Brittany_, and lifted the book back up from the floor. Carefully so as not to tear it, she opened the little envelope and pulled out three folded up pieces of paper. Intrigued, she opened up the first one, only to catch her breath when she saw the first two words written on there.

_Dear Santana…_

Her heart melted a little as she took in the adorably messy handwriting of a young Brittany S. Pierce, and she opened up the others, only to see that each one took the same form; a letter addressed to her. Settling back against her pillows, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed as she began to read the first of the letters, written to her god knows how many years ago.

_Dear Santana,_

_I've just got to New York and it's super scary. Everyone smells funny and no one smiles back at me when I say Hi to them on the street. That's weird right? Anyways I just wanted to tell you that I miss you so so so so much! I wish you were here and I'm super sad that I had to leave. This house is really big and pretty but I miss my house in Lima. And I miss your house too. I miss the back porch and the tire swing and the smell of your mum's cooking. I miss you. I don't like it when you're not around because when you're not here all the fun goes away and I like fun, it's one of my favourite things ever._

_But anyway I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to say because I've never really written a proper letter before, but I really miss you and I hope I see you really soon._

_Love from Brittany S. Pierce xxx_

_Ps. Lord Tubbington says Hi. He's still mad at me for moving and he misses you too._

Santana must have read the letter through at least a hundred times. She wanted to memorize each and every word, hear Brittany's adorable voice in her head, picture the way she probably had her eyebrows pinched together and her tongue poking out in concentration like she always did when she wrote. She smiled and laid the letter back down before picking up the next one.

_Dear Santana,_

_ We haven't spoken in a while, so I wanted to write to you because then I can feel like I'm talking to you, even if I'm not. I don't know if I did something wrong… probably, but I'm really sorry for whatever I did. I miss you. I miss talking to you and laughing with you and holding your hand. I don't know if that's, like, weird but I do. I don't want to do that stuff with anyone here, you know? I wonder sometimes if you do that stuff with other people… Like Quinn maybe. But anyway I wanted to tell you that I always want to be the person holding your hand. You're my best friend and I love you. I hope I'm still yours too._

_Brittany x_

Santana hadn't noticed how much the words had affected her until she felt a single tear run down her cheek. She lifted her hand to wipe it away as she read over the words again.

_I always want to be the person holding your hand._

It amazed her. Everything did; the incredible way in which Brittany's mind worked even back then, the fact that even though she must have been only twelve or thirteen, Brittany recognised their special connection long before Santana had, and the intensity with which even the simplest of words cut through her, breaking down her walls like no one else had or ever could. Those words scribbled down in Brittany's adorable hand-writing, in her favourite pink gel pen, made her feel sad; sad at how upset Brittany sounded, how much she missed Santana, and how she had thought it was her fault that they had stopped speaking. But they also made her incredibly happy at the same time, because she remembered feeling exactly the same way; feeling like nothing really made sense without Brittany by her side, linking their pinkies or holding her hand, feeling like no one else really understood her or saw her, like _really _saw her, and thinking that she would always be her best friend, even if they never saw each other again. But somehow, Santana always knew they would see each other again. And so when she began reading the final letter, she couldn't help but smile like a fucking idiot.

_Hey Santana,_

_I know it's been ages – like, what three years? But I just felt like I wanted to talk to you. Actually, I kinda feel like I want to talk to you all the time. Is that weird? I don't know, but what I do know is that I miss you. And I know that's kinda crazy because we haven't even spoken in so long, and I can't explain it. But I don't care. I miss you. I miss us. You're my best friend and no one understands me like you do. So I just wanted you to know that I'm still here. I still love you and you're still my best friend. _

_I talked to my dad – he say's Hi by the way! – and he told me something. He told me that fate has a way of working these kinds of things out. That if two people love each other, they'll always find their way back to each other. Or something like that anyway… But I think he's right. I know I'm going to see you again and that everything will be okay._

_Your best friend always, _

_Britt-Britt x _

Santana had no idea when she had turned into such a fucking sap, with this stupid grin plastered across her face and tears filling her eyes, but here she was. She might have felt embarrassed if she wasn't so goddamn happy right now. Those words written out across the baby blue piece of paper in front of her were perfect. It was almost spooky how right Brittany had been – how she just knew that they would find each other again and that it would all end up okay – but then again, Brittany had always known things that most other people didn't.

Santana found herself blushing. Like, fucking full-on flushed cheeks and butterflies, and from just reading a few words on a piece of paper. How was that even possible? Even all those years ago, Brittany had just done things to her, had this effect on her; a hold on her so tight that looking back now, it was impossible for her to think that she could have ever let it go.

Santana took one more look over the letters laid out in her lap before folding them up carefully and placing them back into the little hand-made envelope, still grinning stupidly. She felt a new kind of strength from reading those words, a sort of realisation that even if things didn't go well with Brittany's parents, she knew everything would be okay, just like Brittany had been so sure of it all that time ago. She wondered why Brittany had never sent them to her, but more so, she wondered how she would have reacted back then, back when she was so angry and lost. But maybe right now, right in this exact moment, was actually when she needed to read them the most.

Having placed the book in the top drawer of her nightstand, Santana sunk back down against her pillows and smiled to herself. She didn't care that they had lost all those years in between then and now, because right now, just as things were, everything was perfect.

Lost in her thoughts of the girl that had changed everything for her, the girl that couldn't be more perfect if she tried, and the girl that she loved so much, Santana barely heard the front door open. She barely registered the sound of confused voices in the living room or the sound of someone crying. She only snapped properly out of her little daydream when she heard footsteps hurrying down the corridor followed by the sound of Rachel's concerned voice.

"I'll go and get Santana." Hearing these words, Santana shot upright and stared at the door, her heart racing as she waited for it to open, which it did in a matter of seconds to reveal a flustered looking Rachel. "It's Brittany." Rachel announced before Santana even had a chance to ask.

"What the fuck happened?" Santana jumped up, feeling panic rush through her.

"Santana, calm d-"

"Is she okay? Tell me she's okay." Santana interrupted her, not caring about anything else right now apart from Brittany. _What the fuck was going on?_

"She's okay." _Thank god. _"She's just… a little upset. She said something about her parents…" _Fuck. _

"Shit." Santana muttered as she rushed quickly passed Rachel and practically sprinted towards the living room, trying desperately to stay calm. Brittany needed her to be calm right now.

When she entered the room, her heart broke. Kurt and Quinn were sitting on the couch either side of Brittany, who had her head in her hands, sobbing as the others tried to comfort her. "Baby, what happened?" Santana gasped, trying to fight back her own threatening tears as she hurried over and knelt down in front of her girlfriend, placing her hands on her knees. Brittany didn't answer, but simply looked up, red and puffy eyes locking with brown ones for a second before she threw her arms around Santana's neck. Santana held onto her as tight as she could, ignoring the slightly awkward angle, and let her bury her face into the crook of her neck, hearing her sobbing violently. Soothingly rubbing her hands up and down her back, Santana glanced questioningly at Quinn.

"She came home and she was like this." Quinn explained in her signature soft and measured voice. "All she said was that she wanted to see you. I didn't think she should drive so I drove her here." Santana nodded, stroking her fingers softly through blonde hair as Brittany continued to grip onto her tightly.

"Thanks Q." Santana said sincerely. Quinn smiled back at her. "Baby, let's go to my room okay? Here, let me help you up." She heard Brittany sniffle and felt her nod against her shoulder as she managed to stand them both up, Brittany never loosening her vice grip around her. She smiled gratefully at the others before sliding her arm around Brittany's waist and taking her down the corridor and into her room. Sitting down on the bed, Brittany pulled Santana into another tight hug and continued to sob against her. Santana had to fight hard not to cry herself because seeing her girlfriend like this was awful. Exactly what she had been afraid of happening had happened, and now Brittany, this wonderful, sweet, beautiful girl was hurt and she couldn't bear it. "Shh…" Santana cooed, continuing to rub her hands up and down Brittany's back and comb her fingers through her hair. "It's okay, I'm here. Just let it all out, sweetie." She wanted to know what had happened, what her parents had said to make her like this, but she wasn't going to push Brittany to talk yet. She was just going to be here for her, comforting her and ready to listen when she was ready to speak.

Santana wasn't sure how much time passed like that, sitting on the bed, holding Brittany as she cried, but eventually she heard the sobs gradually slowing, her breathing getting steadier and felt the tight grip loosen slightly around her shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry." Brittany mumbled, still sniffling as she pulled away and looked down at her lap. Santana furrowed her brow and took Brittany's hand in hers.

"Baby, why are you sorry?" Santana asked, studying Brittany's features and trying to work out why on earth she felt of all things that she had to apologise. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut, her cheeks still wet with tears and her teeth were biting down hard on her lip in worry.

"I-I told them." Brittany said shakily, lifting her free hand to her cheek to wipe away some of the wetness. "And y-you warned me a-and… I shouldn't have- I shouldn't have b-because now-" Another quiet sob left Brittany's lips and Santana tightened her grip on her hand. She lifted it to her lips, placing a delicate kiss there, and smiled slightly when Brittany let out a little content sigh.

"Britt, listen. You have nothing to be sorry about okay?" Brittany nodded, her eyes still closed as took in a shaky breath. "Hey, look at me." Santana said softly, stroking her hand over Brittany's damp cheek and gently turning her face towards her. She couldn't help but smile when Brittany eventually opened her eyes to look at her because _god _she'd missed those eyes. Without even thinking twice about it, Santana leaned in and kissed those pouting lips softly. She just held her lips against hers, tasting the saltiness of her tears and willing away all the sadness and the worry. She felt Brittany smile slightly against the kiss before eventually pulling away just far enough to rest their foreheads together. "Tell me what happened. I'm here to talk about it if you want to." Santana told her quietly. She smiled as Brittany nodded and leaned in to kiss her once more.

"Sorry, I just wanted one more kiss first." Brittany said in an adorable little voice, making Santana giggle as they pulled apart. She took her hands again, squeezing them softly and encouraging her to explain when she felt ready. Brittany took another deep breath. "So I told them." She began quietly, watching as Santana nodded in understanding before continuing. "About us… I-I said that you're my best friend but that you're also… you're also so much more than that. And that I'm in love with you and I think I always have been." Santana couldn't help but smile at Brittany's words. Just every time she said something like that it was like she couldn't quite believe how perfect she was. "A-And I thought it was going to be fine because my dad just smiled. It was like he already knew or something." Santana nodded and smiled again because she'd had a feeling Mr. Pierce had known, but her smile immediately fell when she saw Brittany's forehead crinkle up with worry again. "But then my- my mum… She said that I was lying. That I was confused and… and that I couldn't possibly be in love with you." Santana didn't know what to say. She was angry, but more than anything she just felt so sad for Brittany. _How could her own mother say that?_ It was one thing not to understand, but to accuse her of _lying_? Santana simply nodded, wanting to remain calm for Brittany's sake. She rubbed her thumbs gently over Brittany's knuckles, letting her know that it was okay to continue. "I-I tried to explain but she- she told me to leave… And my dad he just- he just sat there and so I just left and drove home and all I wanted to do was see you and now- now everything's ruined and my mum hates me!" Brittany choked out, the words tumbling from her lips and another sob escaping her. Her bottom lip trembled and Santana watched as a few little tears ran over her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around the fragile girl in front of her and pulled her into another tight hug. Brittany gripped onto Santana hard, tears wetting her t-shirt as she continued to cry.

"I'm so sorry baby." Santana whispered, hugging her girlfriend tight, never wanting to let her go. "I'm sorry your mum said those things. But she… she was just a little taken off guard. She just needs time, okay? She'll come around I promise." Another choked sob escaped Brittany's lips as she nodded against Santana's shoulder. She just hoped so much that the words she was saying were true. "She's your mum. She loves you, alright? And I love you too. I'm not going anywhere." Another little sob and a sniffle and Brittany sat back to look at Santana.

"I love you too, so much." Brittany whispered, teary blue eyes looking at Santana, like _really _looking at her, and she wondered how in the hell she still got butterflies when Brittany looked at her like that. "I'm so glad I have you." she added, pulling all the air from Santana's lungs as she leaned forward and crashed their lips together. Their tongues met immediately and this kiss wasn't like the last. It was hard and passionate and almost desperate. Brittany's hand immediately found the back of Santana's neck, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss, her lips attacking hers hungrily. Santana could feel how much Brittany wanted her, how much she needed her right now, and it made her heart pound in her chest like it was trying desperately to keep up with everything. She needed her just as much, she needed to show her just how much she loved her and how she would always be there for her, and she kissed her back with just as much passion. When Brittany sucked on her bottom lip her head was spinning; all she could think and feel was Brittany. _Brittany_, who did things to her nobody else did and who drove her crazy like no one ever had, and Brittany, who was so upset right now and needed her more than ever. _Shit._

"Britt-" Santana breathed as Brittany's kisses left her lips and began peppering all over her face – her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. "Brittany." Santana managed to get out a little louder as she felt those perfect lips attach to her neck. Desperately fighting to ignore the burning sensation in the pit of her stomach because _god _Brittany drove her crazy, she took Brittany's hands and squeezed them. Brittany paused her movements and lifted her head to look at Santana questioningly, darkened blue eyes flicking between her own. "We- we should… you should get some rest, baby." Santana told her in between heavy breaths, watching as Brittany's features softened.

"Santana-" Brittany replied, her lips curving up into a little smile as she leaned in to reattach their lips once again.

"Britt, I wanna take care of you." Santana said, still breathing heavily as she placed her hand softly on Brittany's shoulder to stop her movements, even though it was killing her right now. "And this would be-"

"Exactly what I need." Brittany interrupted her, still smiling. "Santana, you… you've already helped so much and… and I need you right now." She told her and the low tone to her voice was doing nothing to ease the heat burning through every inch of Santana's body.

"I need you too, Britt, but-"

"Please, Santana." Brittany said, her voice so sexy right now and the Latina knew she'd lost this battle. "I just… I need you." She husked again, leaning in slowly and finding Santana's neck with her lips once more. She sucked on the skin just below her jaw, eliciting a low moan from Santana's lips as her head tilted backwards. "I really… fucking… need you." Brittany told her again in between kisses and Santana lost it; she wanted give Brittany everything. She _needed _to. She tugged at Brittany's shirt, pulling her towards her and crashing their lips together again. She kissed her furiously, hearing her inhale sharply which only turned her on even more.

"I fucking… need you too." She panted breathlessly, hearing a little moan escape Brittany's lips as she slid her hands underneath her shirt. Santana felt that familiar heat gathering between her legs as her hands brushed up over Brittany's stomach, before cupping those perfect breasts over her bra. Santana heard Brittany take in another sharp breath as she brushed her fingers over her nipples, pinching them over the thin fabric and eliciting a little whimper in response that drove Santana wild. "Lie down." Santana told her in a low whisper, hearing the desire lacing her own voice and watching as Brittany nodded before lowering herself down onto the bed. Santana followed, climbing on top of her and kissing her hungrily again. "I love you… so fucking much." Santana husked into Brittany's ear as she left her lips and began trailing kisses down her neck. She couldn't get enough the soft moans that left Brittany's throat each time she sucked or bit down gently. She moved her kisses down, pushing up Brittany's shirt a little to place feather-light pecks across her toned stomach, loving the way her abs tightened and quivered under her touch.

Soon both girls were just in their underwear and Santana couldn't remember the last time she'd needed someone so much. Straddling her waist, Santana felt like she had to touch Brittany everywhere; her hands explored the bare skin of her stomach, brushed lightly over her arms, her lips drew a path down her neck, her collarbone, as Brittany breathed heavily underneath her. Lifting herself up a little, Brittany undid the clasp of her bra and tossed the garment somewhere onto the floor. Santana wasted no time in sliding her hands up to cup her breasts, brushing her thumbs over her hard nipples and pinching gently. The sharp gasp she received in response sent another rush of heat through her body and she was so fucking turned on right now. She couldn't get enough of Brittany. She just needed her so much. Santana leant down, replacing her fingers with her lips and pressing a feather light kiss to Brittany's nipple, hearing her gasp again.

"Oh god-" She heard Brittany moan helplessly as she wrapped her lips around her nipple and sucked hard. She flicked her tongue out hard over the stiff peak and Brittany was now squirming underneath her. "Santana I- _fuck_ I just need you so much... _Please-"_ Brittany whimpered and Santana could already feel herself pooling in her underwear. She wasn't going to deny Brittany anything right now, not that she even could if she wanted to, and she didn't hesitate to move her kisses lower. She heard Brittany's breathing getting even faster as she travelled lower down her stomach, and the gasp she heard when she pressed her lips against Brittany's damp underwear did nothing to help the wetness pooling between her own legs. After a few more carefully placed kisses and soft nips, Brittany was almost shaking, and Santana loved that she had this effect on her. She tugged at the material with her teeth, before pulling it the rest of the way down Brittany's legs with her hands, and threw it to the floor. She couldn't help but let out a moan when Brittany's legs parted immediately, letting her see just how wet and ready for her she was. Santana was sure she was soaked herself because _god _she loved Brittany's body.

She leaned down and began dusting soft kisses up the insides of Brittany's thighs, hearing delicious little whimpers in response. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could hardly breathe, but it was a good feeling. It was a fucking great feeling, and so without warning she pushed Brittany's legs further apart and placed a delicate kiss to her most sensitive spot, fighting back another moan when she heard Brittany gasp loudly. She pushed her tongue against her, running it flat through her wet folds before flicking it hard over her clit.

"Oh _god_ Santana-" Brittany gasped out as Santana began drawing slow circles around that spot. She placed her hands on Brittany's hips to hold her still because she was now squirming in the hottest way possible, Santana's tongue alternating between soft circles and hard, determined strokes. Hearing the short, sharp breaths escaping Brittany's lips and feeling her getting wetter and wetter beneath her touch was sending arousal shooting through Santana's body. She glanced up to see Brittany staring back at her with hooded eyes, her bare chest heaving and her cheeks flushed pink. _God so fucking hot. _

She placed another kiss to her clit before moving her tongue down and pushing it inside. Brittany let out a loud, strangled moan, and _god_ Santana was fucking wet now.

"Fuck, so good." Brittany breathed out shakily as Santana curled her tongue, brushing it against Brittany's walls and feeling her thighs tremble around her as little whimpers left the blonde's mouth. "Santana I'm- I'm so close already- _fuck-"_ Brittany gasped out as Santana continued thrusting her tongue in and out slowly. Her words just sent another wave of arousal rushing through Santana and she withdrew her tongue, only to replace it with two fingers, and heard Brittany let out a beautiful, high-pitched moan. Pushing her fingers in and out, she returned her lips to Brittany's clit, running the tip of her tongue over it and drawing breathless gasps from her. Curling her fingers inside her like she had done with her tongue, she stroked that spot over and over again, making Brittany writhe and shake under her touch. "I'm gonna- shit I'm-" Brittany panted out, her words cut off by a loud gasp when Santana's lips wrapped around her clit and sucked hard. The only sounds leaving Brittany's mouth now were breathless whimpers of her name, over and over again, as Santana continued to suck at her sensitive spot, while fluttering her fingers inside of her.

Santana knew she was almost there when she felt Brittany's legs begin to tremble either side of her head. She thrust her fingers in as deep as they would go, curling them again as she sucked harder on her clit. Brittany's hands shot up to her hair when Santana flicked her tongue out and suddenly she felt her whole body tense. Looking up, Santana's breath caught in her throat when she saw Brittany with her head tilted back against the pillows, eyes pinched shut, and mouth open slightly as increasingly breathless moans filled the silence. Santana sped up her movements as Brittany's back arched, her hips lifting into her, and with one last high-pitched moan Brittany came hard on her fingers. She kept a steady rhythm, thrusting her fingers slowly and drawing lazy circles with her tongue, watching in awe as waves of pleasure shuddered through Brittany's perfect body.

After what seemed like ages, Brittany finally relaxed again and she fell back against the sheets, her bare chest rising and falling as she took in deep, shaky breaths.

"Oh my god." Brittany breathed out, a lopsided smile stretched across her lips as Santana crawled her way back up her body and collapsed next to her, an equally stupid grin plastered across her own face.

"You're so beautiful." Santana told her, placing a delicate kiss to her shoulder and grinning as Brittany smiled bashfully.

"I love you so much." Brittany said, still panting a little as she turned on her side to face Santana.

"I love you too, Britt-Britt." Santana said softly, smiling back at her and kissing her again just because she had to. "And everything's going to be okay, I promise. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Brittany smiled too, sliding one arm around Santana's bare waist and pulling her closer.

"Thank you." Brittany whispered, that beautiful little smile still playing at her lips as her fingers drew lazy patterns over Santana's stomach. "What?" She asked around her smile as she noticed the stupid grin still stretched across Santana's face.

"Can I tell you something?" Brittany nodded and propped herself up on her elbow, looking at Santana intently. "I found your letters…" Santana announced quietly, smiling as she saw the hint of pink appear on Brittany's cheeks.

"I actually kinda hoped you would…" Brittany admitted shyly, blushing fiercely now and looking down bashfully. "Did you… did you like them?"

"Britt, I _loved _them. I mean… Everything you wrote, all those things you said, I was feeling it all too, you know… I felt it every day and I missed you every day." She watched as Brittany's lips curved up into a larger smile. "And… you know I always want to be the person holding your hand as well." Santana told her, reaching down and lacing her fingers with Brittany's. Brittany beamed back at her, her lightly freckled cheeks still blushing pink as she squeezed Santana's fingers. "Just… how come you never sent them?" Brittany looked down for a second, chewing on her bottom lip in thought before lifting her gaze back to Santana.

"I don't really know. I guess I was just scared." She admitted quietly.

"Of what baby?" Brittany shrugged.

"I don't know… That you wouldn't feel the same I guess? Or maybe that I shouldn't be feeling all those things and that you wouldn't want me telling you them? Or that you're just so awesome and pretty and none of my words written down could ever explain that properly and okay, I'm rambling now I'll shut up." She mumbled, blushing even harder and making Santana laugh.

"You're amazing." Santana simply replied, so in awe of the girl lying next to her, and the effect she'd always had on her. "What?" Santana asked, giggling affectionately at Brittany who was now hiding her face in her hands. "Seriously, what?" She asked again around her grin as she pried Brittany's hands away.

"I just… I don't even know how to explain it. Like, when you say things to me it's like so many butterflies having a celebration party in my stomach." Brittany told her before rolling onto her back and covering her face with her hands again. Santana couldn't help but smile stupidly back at her because she was just so helplessly in love with this girl.

"Come here." Santana told her, taking her hand and pulling her back towards her, before kissing her deeply, feeling Brittany smile against her lips. "Everything's going to be okay, because I am so in love with you." Santana said when they finally broke apart. "You really have no idea."

"Actually I think I do."

**…**


	26. Making Plans

**Sorry for the long wait again! But I hope you enjoy - let me know! x**

**…**

**Chapter 26:**

**…**

Santana couldn't fucking sleep. She'd managed to get in a few hours, drifting off listening to the sound of Brittany's steady breathing, feeling their bodies tangled together and fitting so perfectly. Now though she found herself wide awake again. Her brain just didn't seem to want to shut off. The harder she tried, the more her mind seemed to spin with thoughts and questions to the point that she was beginning to feel dizzy. She turned to glance at the clock on her nightstand and internally groaned when she saw it was 4.30am. She closed her eyes again and took a few deep breaths, hoping to block out the early slithers of daylight which were trying to creep their way through the curtains. She had always been like this, ever since she was little. Usually she slept like a freaking rock and was completely dead to the world until at least 9am, something Rachel had learnt quickly after one too many attempts to drag her out of bed for an early morning run. However if something was on her mind, there was no chance of her sleeping.

She took another deep breath, but no matter how hard she tried the same unanswered questions kept flashing through her brain. _How could Brittany's mum have been so awful to her? Why did her dad just sit there and do nothing? What was it going to take to make Mrs. Pierce see that what they have is real? How the hell was she going to restrain herself from slapping the woman the next time she saw her?_

The longer Santana lay there, the angrier she was getting. She realised that not only was Mrs. Pierce's behaviour hurtful, it was just not okay. None of this was okay. No one was allowed to speak to Brittany like that, especially not her own fucking mother.

Santana decided she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She was just making herself angry and besides, she wasn't going to do anything about it just lying there. Carefully untangling herself from the sleeping girl next to her, she slipped out of bed and tugged on her NYADA hoodie, before quietly making her way into the corridor. Entering the still darkened living room, she almost had a stroke when she heard an unexpected voice.

"You're up early." Santana jumped and managed to stub her toe hard on the coffee table. _Fuck._

"Jesus fucking Christ Q!" She hissed through gritted teeth, noticing her friend curled up under a duvet on the couch. "You scared the shit out of me!" Hopping on her one good foot like an idiot, Santana inspected the other for any signs of serious damage. "I think I broke my toe."

"I'm sure you're fine." Quinn told her in a sleepy voice, sitting up and yawning loudly. "Why are you up? It's like 5 in the morning." She added, eyeing her friend who was now dramatically limping her way over to the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep." Santana mumbled back as she flicked the switch on the coffee machine. "Why are _you _up?" She countered. "Actually, more to the point, why are you sleeping on my couch like a homeless person?" She asked, watching lazily as the hot liquid poured into her mug.

"I wanted to stay and see if Brittany was alright." Quinn replied, standing up from the sofa and stretching before joining her friend in the kitchen area. "Besides, I drove her here. I didn't think it would be right to just leave." She sat down at the island and waited for Santana to join her.

"Thanks Q, that's really sweet of you. And thank you for driving her here last night, means a lot." Santana said sincerely, giving Quinn a tired smile before taking a much needed gulp of her coffee.

"Of course. I mean I know I've been a bitch, but I'm trying to make up for it. I want to do all that I can." Santana smiled again as the girls fell comfortably into sleepy silence. While Santana sipped lazily on her coffee, staring out of the window at the dimly lit sky, she decided it was actually kind of nice being up this early. Not that she was going to make it a regular thing – she liked her sleep – but there was something calming about being awake before the rest of the city, before all the noise and the bustle. She had time to sit and think, enjoy her coffee in peace and just-

"What?" Santana snapped, noticing Quinn staring at her strangely over the rim of her coffee mug.

"So… this is what you look like at 5 in the morning huh?" Quinn said with her signature expert smirk.

"Oh thanks." Santana scoffed, sticking her tongue out at the blonde who giggled softly.

"I'm kidding. I just wanted to lighten the mood. You seem very sombre over there." Santana simply shrugged and returned her attention to her coffee. "Look S, whatever you're thinking about must be serious if it's got you out of bed before noon." Santana let out a sigh of defeat and placed her mug down on the island. "How's she doing?" Quinn asked, a look of genuine concern on her face.

"She's sleeping right now but… not so good." Santana told her, another heavy sigh escaping her lips. Quinn simply nodded, and reached across the island to place her hand gently over Santana's. "I just… I don't know what to do, Quinn."

"Well it sounds like you're doing all you can do right now, and that's staying calm for Brittany's sake and being there-"

"Calm? Are you kidding?" Santana interrupted her, raising her voice a little as she suddenly felt the anger that had been keeping her awake all night bubbling up inside her again. "I am anything but calm right now, Q." She lifted her hand to her forehead and rubbed it in frustration. "Ugh, her mum's just being a total bitch." She huffed out, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. "She fucking told her to get out of the house!"

"She what?"

"Yeah. Like, where the hell am I even meant to start with that?" She shook her head and took an angry gulp of coffee. "I mean it's one thing to be shocked or surprised or whatever. You know, I wouldn't even care if she wasn't okay with it – I could tell she wouldn't exactly be thrilled – but to throw her out of the fucking house? What the actual _fuck_? Tell me Quinn, who does that? No. Just _no_. Q, I swear, if I see that woman I'm gonna-"

"Wha's happ'ning in here?" The sound of Rachel's groggy voice made both girls jump and they turned to see their friend leaning sleepily against the door frame to the living room. If Santana wasn't so fucking livid, the sight of a very dishevelled-looking Rachel in her matching spotted pyjamas and an eye mask pushed up to her forehead, clutching one of her many, _many _stuffed animals would have made her laugh. But right now was no laughing matter. She groaned and dropped her head to her hands.

"Santana was just telling me about Brittany." Quinn explained in a half-whisper.

"Ooh!" Rachel squealed, suddenly a lot less sleepy and back to her ridiculously chirpy self. "I wanna hear the gossip!" She jumped onto a stool next to Quinn and glanced expectantly between them. _Gossip? Jesus fucking Christ if she-_

"It's not exactly _gossip_, Rach." Quinn said hastily, seeing the anger boiling over the Latina's face and her fists clenching tight. "Brittany's really upset." The blonde gave Rachel a look, whose giddy smile immediately disappeared and was replaced with a look of total seriousness.

"Oh right, yes of course." Rachel quickly corrected herself, glancing warily at Santana who was staring at her like her next murder victim. "So is she okay?"

"What do you think, Berry?" Santana snapped, using the little strength she had at 5 in the morning not to throttle her roommate right now. Jesus, she liked her better when she was half asleep.

"Oh, yes of course. Sorry that was stupid..." Rachel mumbled. "Well… I guess the best thing you can do right now is stay calm for her and-"

"_Calm?_" Santana repeated, anger bubbling up inside her again as she glared at a now rather terrified-looking Rachel. "I swear to _god, _if someone tells me to stay calm _one _more time-"

"No no, you're right." Quinn interrupted hastily, shooting another look at Rachel. "What we need is a plan." Rachel nodded violently, desperately trying to avoid an even angrier Santana.

"Yes, a plan!" Rachel agreed with way too much enthusiasm, making Santana roll her eyes.

"I'm fantastic at making plans! All we need is a pen and some paper… And I'll go and fetch my-"

"No fucking gold stars." Santana interrupted, pointing a threatening finger at her friend.

"But they'll help-"

"Look, Berry. I'm gonna be straight with you. I am _this _close to losing my shit. And if that happens, I have a pretty strong feeling you're going to be the target of it. So _please,_ do yourself a favour and leave out the _fucking_ stars." Rachel went to protest again, but the glare she was now receiving from Santana made her think better of it.

**…**

A couple of hours and three large cups of coffee later, the sun was up and the three girls had put together a pretty solid plan. Rachel had got far too into it as expected, insisting on using highlighters and even threatening to draw a diagram at one point.

The plan was pretty simple really. Santana would talk to Mrs. Pierce, explain things in a calm and collected manner, and tell her that although she didn't have to understand or even be happy about it, Brittany was happy, and Santana would never do anything to hurt her. Santana had even prepared a mini speech in her head which she had memorised word for word.

Quinn was going to call Jennifer, since their parents were still pretty good friends, and ask to meet her for coffee. Santana was grateful for Quinn's offer because the idea of calling up Mrs. Pierce and being shouted at down the phone wasn't too appealing. So she would go along with Quinn, hope the ambush wouldn't make Mrs. Pierce hate her even more than she probably already did, and talk it all through with her now that the initial shock had hopefully worn off. That was the plan anyway. Plan B, Santana had decided, was just to murder the woman and dispose of the body in the Hudson River.

"So, all sorted!" Announced Quinn happily as they finalised the last of the plans. "You take Brittany out and do you best to get her mind of things this morning while I call Jennifer and arrange to meet her. Then I'll text you with the details and Rachel will-"

"I'll come and get Brittany and take her to that fabulous spa on 5th avenue while you meet Mrs. Pierce!" Rachel chimed in, extremely excited by her part in the plan.

"Thanks guys." Santana told them, walking over to their side of the island and placing a hand on both their shoulders. "You really are the best to do this. You're awesome, thank you."

"Not a problem!" Replied Rachel cheerfully. "I think an afternoon of facials and massages is just what Brittany needs!" Quinn grinned and nodded.

"And we said we were here for you guys. Whatever you need." Santana smiled and let out a sigh, relieved that they had come up with a plan and also that she'd managed to resist the urges she'd had to punch Rachel during the process.

"Well thank you, really." She said. "I'm gonna go and check on Britt-Britt. I'll see you two later?"

"Yes, and don't worry about anything apart from Brittany. We'll take care of the rest." Quinn grinned as she playfully pushed Santana towards the corridor.

Sneaking quietly into her room, Santana couldn't help but smile. Brittany was still sleeping peacefully, curled up in a little ball as she hugged the covers tightly around her. Santana sat down next to her on the bed and watched as Brittany shuffled a little and scrunched up her nose in the most adorable way.

"Britt." She whispered softly. She didn't want to wake the sleeping girl but she wanted to talk to her. She wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her everything would be alright. And the sooner she could get her up, the sooner they could start their plan and sort out this whole mess.

Brittany mumbled something incoherent and rolled over. Santana giggled softly as she thought just how cute her girlfriend was like this. She stopped giggling when Brittany let out a large yawn, stretched out her legs and kicked Santana on the thigh.

"Ouch!" She hissed, but laughed again when Brittany's eyes suddenly shot open and she glanced around looking very confused.

"Sorry." The blonde muttered sleepily as her tired eyes finally focused on the girl sitting next to her.

"It's okay." Santana said around her smile, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "You're really cute right now by the way." She watched as a gorgeous little sleepy smile stretched across those perfect lips.

"So are you." Brittany told her with a grin, her voice still all groggy and adorable. Santana leaned back to glance in the mirror and groaned when she caught sight of her appearance. She was still in her pyjamas, no make-up on and hair scraped up in a tight bun on the top of her head. She rolled her eyes and Brittany giggled. "Why are you up?" Brittany asked, taking Santana's hand and placing a little kiss there.

"Wanna go somewhere with me?" The Latina said, a smile playing at her lips. Brittany looked very confused – _so cute _– but grinned and nodded nonetheless.

"Sleepy though." Brittany mumbled, her eyes fluttering closed again as she hugged the duvet up to her chin.

"We can get coffee on the way?" Santana suggested, smiling affectionately at the blonde who nodded again and pulled her down onto the bed. Santana giggled and adjusted herself to face Brittany properly. She smiled as Brittany, eyes still closed, leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hadn't done that yet today." Brittany said with a grin as she left Santana's lips and wrapped her arms tight around her.

"Mhm you're right." Santana grinned. "Maybe we need another one just to make sure."

**…**

"Why are we at Central Park?" Brittany asked as they stepped out of the cab, sipping on the last of the coffee Santana had bought her.

"Because," Santana said, paying the driver and taking Brittany's hand. "There's somewhere I wanna show you."

"Okay…" Brittany said slowly, quirking an eyebrow at her girlfriend who giggled as she led them into the park. "So it's like a surprise?" She threw her empty Starbucks cup into a trash can and turned to face Santana again.

"Kind of." Santana replied, smiling at the excited grin on the blonde's face. "Well remember how you showed me that place your dad used to take you?" Brittany nodded. "I wanna show you somewhere that's kinda special to me too." The blonde grinned again as they walked hand in hand along the footpath. Santana was happy to see Brittany smiling again. She could tell she was still feeling sad - she had that look in her eyes – but Santana just hoped she could keep her smiling for a little while, stop her mind from worrying at least a little, until hopefully she could make things better.

They carried on walking for a while, admiring the orangey-red trees around them, other couples walking hand in hand, some sitting quietly by the lake, until they came to a little bridge. It was quieter there, with only a few other people around, and a small river ran below them. Santana stopped on the little stone bridge and leaned over the side, looking out at the rest of the park and smiling as the memory came back to her.

"This is where you wanted to show me?" Brittany said softly, moving to Santana's side and leaning against the wall too. Santana nodded.

"It was like two years ago." She began, watching the water slowly trickle past below them. "I'd only been in New York a couple of weeks and I was feeling a little… Well the others all seemed to have things sorted, you know? Kurt and Rachel had found there _calling_ or whatever at NYADA and Quinn – well Quinn always knew exactly where she was going. But I don't know, I didn't really feel it. My classes were fine and everything but I just didn't feel _it. _What I was looking for, what I wanted, I don't know… I guess I was feeling kinda lost or whatever..." Santana paused to look at Brittany whose forehead was all crinkled in confusion in that adorable way it always did when she was trying hard to understand something. Santana smiled as she continued to explain. "Just like you said you felt in your letters you know?" Brittany's expression softened and she nodded. "So anyway, I was having a bad day. Kurt and Rachel were driving me insane as usual and yeah, I just couldn't really deal with school that day, so I just sorta bunked off. I went on a run to blow off some steam or something, and then I just kinda found myself here. And then that's when I saw you." She turned to Brittany, who was now looking all confused again, and giggled. "I mean I don't know if it was you. But you were sitting right over there."

Santana pointed over to the little green bank, where a woman was standing, hands on her hips as she warned her two little boys not to go any further into the river. Both the girls smiled before Santana continued.

"And it was crazy. I just… I was having the shittiest day. I mean I was even thinking about quitting NYADA… Thing's just weren't going like I thought they would you know?" Brittany nodded and moved a little closer, resting her head on Santana's shoulder who smiled softly. "And then I saw you - or well, what I thought was you – and yeah it was like seeing a ghost or something." Brittany giggled. "I mean I hadn't seen you in what like, six, seven years? And I don't know when the last time I even properly thought about you was. I mean, I just sort of tried not to you know? But then, bam, there you were. And I got the strangest feeling in my tummy – but like a good strange – and then suddenly you were gone." Santana smiled and shook her head, pulling herself back to the present, and wrapped her arm around her girlfriend's waist. "And then just like that I sorta got my shit together. I went back to school the next day and actually tried for once, and I enjoyed it. I loved it actually." Santana turned to see Brittany beaming at her. "What?" She asked, a bashful sort of smile on her lips.

"You're just… I don't even know." Brittany said with a giggle. "You're so sweet." Santana blushed and turned to look out at the river again.

"It's stupid I know."

"It's not." Brittany told her, prodding her on the shoulder and making her chuckle. "I get it. And… I did come here sometimes, you know."

"You did?" Brittany nodded with a smile.

"Yeah I found it on one of my walks with my dad. And I came back here a few times 'cause it was so pretty. I used to sit and draw, or just kinda think about things." Santana smiled. "So maybe it was me you saw."

"That's kinda spooky." Santana said with a chuckle. Brittany laughed too.

"It is."

"But thank you."

"For what baby?"

"You helped me so much that day. And you didn't even do anything. Just seeing you – or even just thinking I saw you – it… you made me think things were going to be okay again. So thank you." Brittany smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Santana's lips. "So I guess the reason I brought you here is because I wanted you to know that things _are _going to be okay. You were always here for me even when you weren't actually _here_ and… And I'm always going to be here for you too okay?" Brittany smiled again and wrapped her arms tightly around Santana's neck, pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered softly against Santana's shoulder. "And I know everything will be okay." She said as they pulled apart. "Because I have you. I just… I just wish my parents could understand too." Santana smiled softly and nodded.

"I know, sweetie." She said gently, taking Brittany's hand and pressing her lips to her palm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Can we just stay here for a while?" Brittany asked, her voice small and vulnerable.

"Of course." They looked out over the river, Brittany leaning her head on Santana's shoulder again.

"You just… you make me feel so many things." Brittany admitted quietly, making Santana smile. "And I just want my mum to get that. Like you make me feel so good, and warm inside and you give me butterflies and yeah I don't know." She chuckled softly. "I just love you." Santana smiled and pulled the adorable girl closer to her.

"I love you too, Britt-Britt. So much."

**…**


	27. Inspiration please!

Hey guys! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Life has been totally nuts. BUT that good news is I've been writing a little again recently. The thing is, I really would love some inspiration from you guys. You readers are what always made writing this story so great. On that note, I'd really love for you guys to message me on here, on tumblr, or write a review, and tell me something you love about this story. Your favourite scene maybe or just something that you like about it. I want to keep writing this for you guys, so I want to get back in touch with what you guys want to read.

Thank you all so much and hopefully there'll be an update soon..! X


	28. Can We Just Be Happy For Now?

**Drum roll please... Aaaand here's a new chapter! I cannot apologise enough for the MASSIVELY long wait. Life got in the way there for a while. But anyway, enjoy! Please let me know what you think, I've loved hearing from you guys xx**

**Chapter 27:**

**…**

_Fuck._

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. _

_You know when you're about to take an exam that you haven't studied for at all? You're sat there. The paper's laid out in front of you. You're about to start writing. And… you're completely freaking out. You're having a mind blank – a total, utter mind blank. You know that once you open that white booklet that's it – you won't know any of the answers, you're sure to fail and there's no one to blame but your idiot self. After all, you're the one that got yourself into the situation; totally unprepared and destined for epic failure._

_Well that's pretty much how Santana was feeling. Nervous. Panicked. Just an overwhelming feeling of dread that everything was about to go wrong. She was doomed. Totally fucking doomed._

_Why had she decided to do this again? Meeting up with – sorry, ambushing - Mrs. Pierce (recap: the woman who hated Santana's guts, thought she'd ruined her daughter's life, and most likely never wanted to lay eyes on her again). Which part of her stupid, tiny brain had decided that this was even remotely a good plan? Jesus fucking Christ._

_She was sitting next to Quinn in the little bistro coffee shop just across the street from her apartment (that way, they figured, she would have the quickest escape if worse came to worse). Brittany, totally unaware, was at the spa with Rachel. It almost seemed comical to think of those two having massages and getting their nails done at a time like this. Mrs. Pierce was due to arrive any minute. Santana was panicking. Totally fucking panicking. She couldn't work out how Quinn was so infuriatingly calm, sat there sipping on her fucking chai latte and reading the fucking business section of the paper, while Santana's fucking heart felt like it was about to fucking implode. Jesus Chri-_

"Santana?"

Rachel's shrill voice jolted her back to the present. Judging by her slightly exasperated tone, it wasn't the first time she'd called her name. _Shit. _She must have zoned out again.

"Yeah?" She responded, tiredness dragging out her voice. She turned her head slightly towards the back of the car in a vague attempt to show that she was listening.

"I've been saying your name for the past two minutes, Santana. You're so spaced-out recently! Or wait, were you asleep sweetie? God, so sorry!" She added hastily.

"It's fine, Berry." _Maybe she had been asleep, come to think of it._

"Okay good, well Quinn and I were just saying we should take a break soon, do you agree?" Santana hummed a response. "Perfect, because we've been on the road for a few hours now and…" Santana turned to gaze out the window again, zoning out her friend's rambling. She felt a little bad, but honestly she didn't have the energy right now to listen to a fast-paced Rachel Berry. She was so tired. She wasn't actually sure if she had been asleep, or just daydreaming, but either way, she'd been doing it a lot recently. The past couple of weeks had been playing over and over in her head, like a damn movie stuck on repeat – a really fucking depressing one.

She stared at the countryside rolling past outside, her finger drawing lazy patterns across the fogged-up window. She sighed, watching the rain that was still falling heavily onto the tarmac.

_"__Santana! Santana, wait!" She ignored the shouting behind her and continued to run down the empty street. It was raining hard and her clothes were soaked through, but she didn't care. Maybe she didn't even notice. All she could feel were the tears running down her cheeks and the fact that she couldn't breathe. Fuck, she couldn't breathe._

_"__God-" She stopped and bent over, resting her hands on her knees. Her chest was heaving so fast. But then why couldn't she breathe? Ugh she really should start going to the gym. She screwed her eyes shut tight, gulping madly in an attempt to catch her breath again. Fuck. Breathe. Breathe._

_"__Santana!" She heard Quinn's concerned voice again as the blonde finally caught up with her. "Jesus, S. Don't just run off like that! You're pretty quick you know, and it's f-ing pouring! Look, I know- Shit are you okay?" Santana still couldn't breathe and Quinn seemed to have noticed. "Are you having a panic attack or something? Fuck, uh-" Santana shook her head but stayed bent over. Her eyes stayed closed as she tried to calm herself down. Her lungs didn't seem to be working. Maybe she was having a panic attack. Was this what a panic attack felt like? "S. you need to breathe. Just deep breaths okay? That's it." Quinn's voice returned to its usual soft, calming tone. It was actually starting to make Santana feel a little better. Why was she always so good in a crisis? "It's alright sweetie. Okay? It's going to be alright, I promise. Just breathe."_

_"__Fuck." Okay, her lungs were back in action. _

_"__Are you okay?" No._

_"__No." _

_"__Okay." Okay? Was she kidding? She wanted to snap, or scream or something. She wanted to tell Quinn that no, obviously she wasn't okay. Hadn't she been there? Hadn't she seen what just happened? Hadn't she witnessed that total, fucking train-wreck with Mrs. Pierce?_

_Another "No." was all she could choke out though. She couldn't blame Quinn. This wasn't her fault. She'd actually been pretty great in there, sticking up for her and all that. Again – so good in a crisis. No, this was totally Santana's fault. Actually, wait. No. This was that tall, blonde woman with the giant stick shoved up her ass's fault._

_"__Okay. Yeah, I know sweetie." Quinn replied. Santana could hear her tone of voice change again, sort of soften. It was something like sympathy. Santana realised she was probably still crying. She lifted her hand to her wet cheek. And angry. God, she was angry._

_"__Did you hear the things she just said?"_

_"__Yes, Santana, I-"_

_"__Were you fucking there?" Fuck, breathe, breathe. "She's impossible. How the hell am I supposed to-"_

_"__I know Santana, but-"_

_"__No, Q. You don't." She spat. "How could you possibly know what I'm feeling right now? Fuck this." Fantastic. So much for not snapping._

Santana jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Quinn in the seat behind her, smiling softly as she gave her shoulder a little squeeze. Santana smiled back and sighed a little. She'd had so many conversations with Quinn over the past week or so, and she knew that it was okay. She'd been pretty great. Really great actually. But it also wasn't okay. So many things weren't.

_"__Santana, are you okay? Baby are you crying? What's wrong?" Brittany's worried eyes tried to find Santana's, but they were fixed hard on the floor of the apartment. "Honey, please tell me."_

_"__We just spoke to your mum." Santana heard Quinn explain softly to Brittany after a short pause._

_"__Okay." The confusion in Brittany's voice just made Santana feel even worse. _

_"__It didn't go too well."_

_"__Oh." Shit, how was she supposed to tell her? How was she supposed to tell Brittany, the most wonderful, sweet, kind person she knew, that her own mother didn't want to speak to her? Didn't want to see her?_

_"__She didn't… It didn't go too well." Quinn resorted to repeating herself. Clearly she didn't know how to tell Brittany either. _

_Santana suddenly felt strong arms wrap around her as Brittany pulled her into a tight, almost crushing hug. She didn't move at first. She couldn't. She felt numb. She was confused. Why was Brittany the one hugging her? Brittany was the one who should be upset. Brittany the one who needed consoling. Not her. This was her fault. Wasn't it? She shouldn't be the one crying. She's never the one crying._

_But then again it was all so much. It was all so much and she didn't know how to deal with any of it. So she let herself go. She let herself melt into Brittany's arms and started to cry again._

"Hey you." Brittany's voice was gentle, caring, but it still made Santana jump a little. She turned to see her girlfriend looking at her from the driver's side, smiling softly. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and a light blush covered her cheeks, probably from the warm air blowing out of the fan. She was wearing her old, baggy _Knicks_ sweatshirt and that pair of light grey jeans with the rip in the knee. Santana loved that outfit on her.

She smiled back at the blonde, but she knew it probably didn't reach her eyes. She watched an adorable frown crinkle Brittany's forehead. "Are you okay?" Santana nodded, and smiled again, this time meaning it a little more. Brittany smiled too. The blonde then let her gaze flicker back to the road. Santana watched her for a few seconds. She was so beautiful. How did she get so lucky?

Feeling brown eyes on her, Brittany turned to face Santana again and grinned. Santana grinned back. Brittany's eyes returned to the road again, then back to Santana once more. She then stuck her tongue out playfully, making Santana grin harder.

Santana _was _okay. She would be at least. She was just… tired. And sad. She was sad for Brittany, because instead of being on the way to Lima with her parents for Christmas in their big BMW, with its comfy leather interior and a heating system that wasn't totally bipolar, Brittany was here, squashed into Quinn's tiny VW Polo, with its worn-out seats and the big dent on the side where Rachel had accidently reversed her car into it last Christmas.

_"__Oh my god!"_

_"__What? Did I hit something?!"_

_"__Yes you fucking hit something!" _

_"__Oh my goodness, what? What did I hit?! Was it a person?"_

_"__My car Rachel! You hit my brand new car!"_

_"__Oh my god, Quinn, I'm so sorry! I told you I can't parallel park!"_

_"__Berry, I have no idea what that was, but it sure as hell wasn't parallel parking."_

_"__Santana this is not funny. Rachel you're still going backwards! You need to drive forward…. No, Rachel! Forward! For-"_

_"__But I'm stuck!"_

_"__Just drive forward a little!"_

_"__I'm stuck! Help! Heeelp!"_

_"__You're not stuck, Rach. You just need to go forward a tiny bit… Yes forwar- No, Rach! Shit- just-No! No! You need to- Santana, stop laughing!"_

Santana smiled at the memory. It had taken them a good half an hour to get Rachel to calm down and eventually get her car "unstuck". It was hilarious. Quinn had not been impressed though.

"Why are we slowing down?" Santana asked groggily. They were pulling off the freeway.

"We're stopping for some food, sweetie." Brittany explained softly as she pulled into a quiet parking lot.

"Oh, yeah." She realised she must have nodded off again. She yawned, rubbing at her tired eyes. She waited for the engine to shut off before unbuckling herself and stepping out of the little car. She stretched her arms up above her head, only now realising how stiff she was from sitting in the car.

It had stopped raining, thank god, and was now actually kind of nice. It was cold, but everything seemed sort of calm and misty, like after a big storm or something. Shivering slightly, she looked up at the little diner they'd found in the middle of god knows where. It was kind of cute actually, like something out of a retro movie with its big red sign and matching red swinging doors. She jumped a little when Brittany came up behind her and wrapped her jacket around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully, and let Brittany take her hand and lead them towards the little building, Quinn and Rachel following behind.

"Hey, guys, we'll join you in a sec okay?" The other girls nodded and continued their way into the little diner as Santana looked to her girlfriend quizzically. "Can we just talk for a minute?" Brittany turned to face her.

"Of course." Santana nodded, her brow crinkling a little. "What's up?" The blonde in front of her took a deep breath, seemingly nervous for what she was about to say. It was utterly adorable, but also made Santana worry just a little.

"Is everything okay?" Brittany asked tentatively, her face marked with concern.

"Everything's fine." She was a little confused by the question. "Of course it is."

"Are you sure?" Brittany's voice was full of doubt. She took one of Santana's hands and laced their fingers together sweetly. Santana couldn't help but smile. "You just seem totally not okay." Brittany's voice now seemed quiet, shy almost. Santana shook her head.

"Britt, I'm fine. Really." She smiled for good measure.

"But you're not." Her voice was quiet, caring.

"Yes, I am! I prom-"

"You're so not."

"I so am."

"Not."

"Am."

"Nope."

"But-"

"Nope."

"But, I-"

"Shush, you're totally not." Both girls were smiling now. A little giggle escaped Santana's lips. Brittany stuck out her tongue playfully.

"I'm not gonna win this one huh?" Santana asked with a sigh of feigned disappointment.

"Not a chance." Brittany grinned wickedly. Santana giggled again. "See? I've missed this."

"I know." Santana sighed properly this time. "Me too." Brittany nodded, biting her bottom lip in that adorable way she always did when she was thinking hard.

"This is what I mean. You've just been so…" She paused, maybe thinking of the right words to use. Brittany was always so careful about choosing her words. Santana loved that about her. "You just haven't been _yourself_ the past couple of weeks."

"I know. I'm sorry." Santana looked down to their joined hands.

"Please don't be sorry."

"But I am! I feel so bad." She wined. God, she sounded like a child but she couldn't help it. "I know I've been down lately. I just- I feel so awful." She took an exasperated sigh, releasing her hand from Brittany's and crossing her arms over her chest. She leant back against the wall of the diner. "I feel awful for what happened with your mum. God, I shouldn't have gone to see her. I made it so much worse."

"Hey, please don't say that. You didn't make anything worse." Brittany reassured her softly and Santana could tell she meant it. "You stood up for me! I love you so much for that."

"But I just- I feel so sad for you." Santana admitted quietly. "She's not speaking to you, Britt." She looked down at her old, worn-out converse.

"And I'm not speaking to _her_." Brittany replied defiantly. She sounded so calm, positive almost. How was she being so strong about all this? "Santana. She told you that she wouldn't speak to me if I continued to see you. What kind of a person does that? And to their daughter? I don't _want _to speak to her if she's going to be that person."

"I know, but-"

"Santana." She repeated, softer this time. "It sucks, it really does. Do I wish she was okay with it? With us? Yes, of course. She's my mum. But honestly, if she's going to make me choose between her and you, there's no question. I'd choose you every time." Santana's stomach did a little flutter at her words.

"I just hate that you had to choose." She replied in a small voice, finally looking up at Brittany again. Even after everything that had happened, those blue eyes were still just as bright as ever. She'd been so much stronger than Santana through all of this, so much more okay. Santana loved her for her strength.

"I know, sweetie. Me too." She ran her hands up Santana's arms and rested them on her shoulders. "But that's just how it is for now, okay? She'll come round. And if not, it's her loss." Santana nodded, letting Brittany pull her into a comforting hug. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Of course." Santana moved her head back to look at her girlfriend. She would do anything for her.

"Can we just be happy for now?" Brittany smiled, and Santana did too. She was struck by the simplicity of the question, the innocence of it. "We've done enough of being sad the past few weeks, and I'm done with it now. Being sad is, like, the worst. I want to be happy. Jesus, I _am _happy." She grinned again, kissing the back of Santana's hand. "And besides, it's only one week till Christmas, which I now get to spend with my favourite person in the whole wide world." Santana grinned. "That's you by the way." She nudged Santana's shoulder, who laughed. "Plus I get to give you your Christmas gift soon which is gonna be the most awesomest gift anyone's gotten ever. _And_ I get to see Mama Lopez again and your adorable little bro. Aaand we have a whole five hours left of an awesome road trip with our best friends."

"Well that's true." Santana was smiling now. As in _properly _smiling. It felt good.

"See? Things aren't looking so bad huh?" Brittany asked with an air of smugness about her. _So cute. _Santana chuckled.

"You're so right. Thank you Britt-Britt." She squeezed her hands affectionately. "You always know how to make me all better. You're so clever."

"Some people have used the word genius before, but whatever." Brittany responded with a nonchalant shrug, before grinning at Santana.

"And those people would be right. Shall we head in?" She nodded towards the diner door. "I'm freaking starving."

"Only if you swear that you're going to be happy from now on?" She said, pointing her finger at Santana accusingly.

"I will." Santana replied around her grin.

"Say you swear." Brittany ordered, taking a step towards her, her smile just as wide.

"I swear to everything that is good and holy," Santana began, placing her hand over her heart dramatically, "that I, Santana Lopez, vow to-"

"Santana Maria Lopez." Santana rolled her eyes.

"I, Santana _Maria _Lopez, vow to be totally, utterly, inconsequentially, Rachel-Berry-when-she-gets-recognised-by-a-fan-and-won't-stop-going-on-about-it-for-days kind of happy, from this point onwards." Both girls stared at each other, before a burst of laughter escaped their lips. "I am such a dork."

"Yup." Brittany agreed, leaning in and capturing her lips in a kiss. "But I love ya." She sung, grabbing Santana's hand and leading her through the big red doors. "Let's get pancakes."

_Maybe things were going to be okay after all._


	29. Road Trip

Sadly I don't have a lot of time at the moment, so updates aren't that long. But hopefully a short update is better than no update?! Anyway, enjoy! x x

**Chapter 28:**

**…**

"Oh my god."

"Oh my _god._"

"Sweet holy Jesus."

"I can't move." Santana shovelled the last forkful of pancake into her mouth before collapsing against the back of her chair. "Seriously, you guys are gonna have to roll me back to the car." She groaned, resting her hands on her very bloated stomach. Brittany giggled next to her.

"Who knew a tiny little diner right off the freeway in the middle of Pennsylvania would have _the_ best pancakes ever?" Quinn scooped up the last blob of maple syrup on her plate with her finger and popped it into her mouth. "Ugh _so _good."

"Classy table manners Q." Santana joked. Quinn chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "And I wouldn't say the best pancakes _ever_, but they're sure up there." The look of pure disbelief her friend was now giving her made Santana chuckle. "They were amazing, but they don't beat Britt-Britt's." She explained. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"You _would_ say that. She's your girlfriend." Santana smiled, somewhat surprised. She didn't think she'd heard Quinn refer to Brittany as her girlfriend before.

"She speaks the truth." Brittany said with a casual shrug. "My banana chocolate chip pancakes are the best on this earth. There is no question." The group laughed at Brittany's matter-of-fact-ness. Santana loved how that girl managed to be so cocky, yet so endearing at the same time. She turned and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. "But I agree, these were a close second. So good."

"_So _good." Quinn groaned in agreement.

"Alright guys, they can't have been _that_ great." Rachel mumbled. She was sitting next to Quinn and looking down at her plate of food with a rather sad look on her face. Santana couldn't help but laugh.

"A tad regretful are we, Berry?" She asked in an overly sympathetic voice, but her amused smile gave her away. Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Is someone wishing they hadn't ordered their _super healthy _fruit salad?"

"I would definitely be regretful." Quinn looked at her pityingly, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"I would be too if I'd missed out on the _second best _pancakes in the _whole world._" Brittany added, eliciting a snort of laughter from Santana.

"Oh shush, all of you." The others laughed as Rachel folded her arms and did her best to look grumpy. "You're so mean."

"Oh don't go looking all pouty over there, Mrs." Santana reached across the table and poked Rachel on the nose. She watched the corners of her mouth twitch upwards into a little smile. "We've got like 5 hours left till we get to Lima, and there's no way we can make this an awesome road trip if you're gonna be all _pouty_."

"Oh, I see. So I'm not allowed to be pouty, but you're allowed to be all sad and mopey and sleepy for the first three hours?" Rachel countered, her devilish smile telling Santana she wasn't being all serious.

"Touché, Berry. Touché." Rachel stuck her tongue out at her and Santana did the same. "Your comebacks have come a long way. It seems I've taught you well."

"Why thank you." Rachel grinned triumphantly.

"Santana's already promised to be super-duper happy for the rest of the trip." Brittany continued their conversation. "Haven't you, sweetie?" Santana nodded proudly as Brittany snaked an arm around her. "So Rach, if you promise too, then we can make this the best road trip ever!" Santana smiled at her girlfriend's childlike enthusiasm. "No smelly boys, no mean mothers… no bitch slapping going on between these two," She gestured between Santana and Quinn, who laughed, "Just us girls, and it's gonna be awesome!"

"I second that." Santana chimed in, raising her hand. "Thank god Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Gel-Hair are staying in the city for a few more days. There's only so much a girl can take."

"Don't be mean baby." Britany nudged her girlfriend, who simply rolled her eyes. "So, you promise, Rach?"

"Fine, I promise." Rachel gave in with a roll of her eyes. "Quinnie has to promise too though." She wrapped her arms round Quinn's shoulders, who laughed.

"Fine, fine!" She wriggled out of her friend's tight grip, giggling. "We all promise. Now can we please get back on the road? I'd like to get to Lima before it's dark at least."

"Oh yes, my turn to drive!" Rachel sung happily, jumping up and skipping her way to the door. Santana and Quinn exchanged worried glances.

"_Absolutely_ not."

**…**

"Snacks for the road?"

"Check!" Santana lifted the carrier bag of sweets with a triumphant smile on her face.

"Drinks for the road?" Brittany asked, looking to her girlfriend again. Santana grinned and chucked her a soda.

"Check!" she shouted again. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Guys, is this really neccess-"

"Music for the road?"

"Check!" Quinn shouted eagerly from the driver's seat. "My _Epic Road Trip Playlist._" She plugged her iPod into the stereo system. _Mr Brightside _started up from the speakers. Rachel sighed from her place next to her.

"Really? Can't we just get go-"

"_Games _for the road?" Brittany raised her voice, totally ignoring Rachel, much to the amusement of Santana. The Latina pointed to the box by her feet.

"Check!" They'd made a quick stop at the gas station next to the diner and picked up some supplies. Brittany had insisted that if they were to have the best road trip ever, they needed to be adequately prepared. _She had been totally adorable by the way, sending out instructions and keeping everyone in high spirits._

"Then let's get this show on the roooaad!" Brittany shouted in a funny, deep sort of voice, like a commentator. "Quinn, start 'er up!" Quinn laughed a light, amused sort of laugh, and turned on the ignition.

"Away we go!" The blonde nudged Rachel, who rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless.

Yes. This was what Santana needed. To forget about all the shit that had been going down and just _let go. _She was in a car with three of her best friends, no school, no work – just them, out on the road and on their way home. Yeah, she really needed this.

"So what's the plan when we get there?" Rachel asked, gesturing at Santana to hand her a soda. She smiled gratefully and popped open the lid. Santana grabbed one for herself too, before settling back comfortably in her seat.

"It'll be after 10 by the time we get there, so I'm thinking we just crash tonight?" Quinn suggested, the others nodding. "I'll drive you to your dad's house, Rach, then drop Britt and Santana at _Casa di Lopez_," Santana nodded, chuckling at Quinn's terrible attempt at a Spanish accent. "And then drive myself home."

"Yeah and then meet up for lunch or something tomorrow?" Rachel added, looking to the others for confirmation.

"Definitely. Britt?" Santana turned to Brittany, who she noticed seemed a little quiet. She squeezed her knee affectionately.

"Yeah." She looked down at her soda can. "You sure it's okay I stay with you?" Santana stared at her, a bemused look on her face.

"You're serious?" Brittany shrugged shyly. "Britt-Britt, of _course _it's okay! I wouldn't have it any other way, you know that." The blonde didn't look totally convinced. "Besides, I _need _you." Brittany quirked an eyebrow. "Oh come on. You know I'm gonna need an ally if I'm planning on surviving this long with my crazy family."

"They _are _pretty crazy." Quinn agreed, grinning at her friend in the rear-view mirror.

"See? I need all the help I can get." She bumped her shoulder against Brittany's, watching as the girl smiled a little. "So you're good?" Santana poked Brittany's side when she didn't get a response. "_Britt-Brit?" _She poked her again. And again. A tiny giggle escaped Brittany's lips that made Santana smile.

"Okay, _fine_!" Santana punched the air triumphantly. "But only if you stop poking me!" She swatted Santana's hand away, but stole a kiss in the process. Santana grinned.

"Time for the first game!" Quinn announced from the front. "We didn't sign up for an eight hour road trip so you two could get it on in the back seat." The couple blushed, giggling at each other.

"Jealous much, Fabray?" Santana smirked, receiving a stuck-out tongue from Quinn in response. "But yeah, I agree. Time for game. Britt, you choose." Brittany nodded, looking very serious as she hummed in thought.

"Oh!" Her eyes suddenly widened and a smile stretched across her face. "Only the best road trip game ever invented!"

"What would that be?" Rachel asked, turning towards the back.

"Twenty Questions, duh." Santana laughed at her girlfriend's response to Rachel's question.

"Ah, yes. Of course." Rachel nodded. "I knew that." _Clearly._

"I've got one!" Quinn shouted excitedly.

"Ooh, okay. Male or female?" Brittany began bouncing up and down in her seat like an excited child.

"Male."

"Are they famous?" Quinn shook her head.

"So we know them?" Rachel asked.

"Duh, Berry." Santana rolled her eyes at her friend. "That's kinda the point of the game."

"Yes, we know them." Quinn confirmed with a chuckle. There was silence as they all thought for a second.

"Kurt?" Rachel asked tentatively. Quinn shook her head again. "Blaine?"

"Too obvious, Berry."

"Tina? Mike? That weird tall girl from dance class? Oh wait, I know! That redhead guy who delivers our pizza!"

"Berry, stop shouting out random guesses!"

"But I'm just playing the game! Besides, I might be right." She looked hopefully to Quinn.

"You're not." She responded dryly making the others laugh.

"Oh!" Santana shouted, a grin stretching across her lips. "Is he by any chance a total douchebag…?" Rachel scoffed at the question but Quinn's eyes widened in excitement.

"Yes, yes!"

"Does his name rhyme with _Fuckerman?"_

"Yes!"

"Puckerman!" They all shouted in unison, before erupting into laughter.

"Nailed it!" Santana did a little dance in her seat, making Brittany giggle. "Way too easy, Q. My turn."

"Ready? Male or female?"

"Female."

"Celebrity?"

"Yes." Santana nodded, watching eagerly as her friends thought hard.

"Ooh are they a Broadway icon?" Rachel asked excitedly. Santana waited for a second, just to make sure she was actually being serious, before responding.

"No, Berry." Rachel pouted in disappointment. "Come on guys. You've got this."

"Oh, is it someone we hate?" Brittany asked, suddenly inspired.

"Yes!" Santana grinned excitedly.

"Paris Hilton!" Brittany shouted.

"Good one, but no. Try again!"

"Hmm… Kim Kardashian?" Santana chuckled, shaking her head.

"We do hate her, but nope."

"Any of the Kardashians?" Rachel chimed in.

"Nope. Come on you guys, you're better than this."

"Emma Stone?" Quinn asked with a shrug.

"Excuse me?" Santana placed a hand on her chest in mock horror.

"What? She kinda bugs me." Santana gasped.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say that Q. Emma stone is amazing. Keep on guessing kids." She turned to Brittany. "Britt I know you can get this one. I'll give you a clue. They're totally fucking crazy."

"Miley Cyrus…?" Rachel suggested tentatively from the front.

"Oh so close, Berry! Think even crazier. Like legit insane." At this Brittany shriekd in realisation.

"Amanda Bynes!" She shouted, throwing her hands up in the air triumphantly. "Yes!" Santana yelled, pulling the blonde into a celebratory hug. "Fucking finally."

**…**


End file.
